NZ Movers and Shakers

For Inquiry and Writing We had to write about a New Zealand Inventor I write about the Inventor Henry Wigley who Invented the Ski Boat :

Henry Rodolph Wigley

Henry Rodolph Wigley a New Zealander also the inventor of the ski plane with retractable skis as well as being the first person successfully land the plane after a couple of tries but he did it.

Henry Rodolph Wigley was born on the  2nd of February 1913 in   Christchurch, New Zealand.His parents Jessie Christie Grant and his Father Rodolph Wigley .When he was a teenager he started pilot training and joined RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force) at the outbreak of World War, he helped out  by being a pilot. Their family were innovators, entrepreneurs and pioneers of tourism in New Zealand. His father, Rodolph formed one of the first commercial aviation  companies in  New Zealand. He was the first person to drive a motor vehicle to Mt Cook and he helped introduce skiing into the South Island, he was also the Captain of the New Zealand ski team in 1936-1937.

On september the 22nd, Henry Wigley was the first person to make a  grass - snow flight with his plane which he named Auster. The world's first plane with retractable skis, Wigley spent many years perfecting the skis before his flight from Mount Cook village to Tasman Glacier. On his second approach Timaru Herald reporter Doug Drake said’ the pioneering aircraft made a perfect landing, but then when he was taking off again the snows drag was bigger than he expected and the plane struggled to reach 72 kmph. But then it hit a bump which tossed it upwards long  enough you could call it airbourne. Wigley repeated that landing two more times that  day, then within a year later the mount cook Company ski plane business was up and running.When his father died he took over his company (Mount cook Tourism ) and then used the ski plane as a taxi, up the mountain and back. The plane become a key symbol of the Mt Cook tourism.

His Ski plane was the Auster ZK Box, a four seater light aircraft which use to be on the ceiling of Queenstown airport but now on display at the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre Museum . Mount Cook Ski plane and helicopters are still up and running today . Also today as well as a ski plane there is also a seaplane which was actually invented before the ski plane it was invented in March the 28th 1910 by Henri Fabre. Which is sort of the same as ski plane except instead of landing on snow it lands on the water. Some people don't think ski planes as much but in the United states it is a popular sport .

So in the future if anyone wants to Invent or Innovate something, I think that Henry Wigley would be a great person to be Inspired by. And if you come down in a Crash then keep on trying until you  land right .

Written by Sarah

Homework

Last week we did a Naughts and Crosses tack were you get to chose the activities you do I did :

3

• Showing How Trenches Work
• Diary
• Anzac Poppy Montage
• And design the Biscuit Box

Here is my Diary I did :

Diary

Day 3

April 28th 1915

Dear Diary

I have been here in Gallipoli for 3 days now, Its been a fine the last couple of Days. I have heard the Front line is scary so I hope I dont have to go in the frontline for a while The food is disgusting its just plain but I Guess I will have  get use to it, It stinks around here in the Trenches. I have a feeling there is a storm on its way there are a couple of spits hopefully it will just bypass here. I am sort of don't want to be here now but I'm doing it for my Country. Its really loud around here I'm probably going to be partly death when I come home, Lots of gun shots and  Bombs surrounding. Hope I get some sleep with this Noise Its starting to get dark better try get some sleep Write Tomorrow

Day 4

April 29th 1915

Dear Diaru

Im in pain at the moment.They sent me to the Frontline to Replace the the soldiers who have either got really badly injured or have gone to a better place I was doing fine for the first couple of hours but then heard one big Gun shot before I knew it I was in agony lying on the ground. All I could see was Blood I must of not been lying down enough just one little mistake and you could be gone I'm just lucky that it was In my leg not my heart or Head They carried me back to the trench to get some. Im now lying down in the Trench with a Temporary old rag as a Bandage. They said It was infected and I would have to go the mini hospital on the Island of Lemnos where the Nurses will Treat it . Its really starting to stink in here with all the dead bodies in a pile while people try and bury them and now the rats have came . I think turkey is dealing with the same problems Im going over to the Island of Lemnos tonight when it's dark so they don't see us. Ill try to write tomorrow.

Day 5

April 30th 1915

DearDiary

Well we made it over here to the Island of lemnos its peace full around here no turkeys to be seen The nurse treated but Im still in a lot of pain she said it might not be a couple of weeks until I have fully recovered we will just have to wait and see what happens next. Its pretty busy over here but its nice to have a break from all the the shooting it seems to me that I have been here for weeks but I have only been here for 5 days now You can hear the sound of a faint bomb every so often. I wonder how they are coping I hope this war would be over I don't get the point of it. I just got some more news I will be back helping out or countries in a couple of days because its getting busy at the hospitals and they say I will be Fine. I wonder how the Turks are doing If they are running low on Resources. I miss all my Family but I know they will be proud of me.