This Could Have But Ultimately Never Happened

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

During the early 1960's TEAL was a contender for the DH-106 COMET .... in COMET 4 form since it was by this time realized that the airline needed to upgrade to jets ASAP (as QANTAS had by 1959) if it was to remain competitive.

The COMET 4 initially looked like an encouraging prospect (possibly inspired by the NZ's "Buy British" mentality of that era) as by around 1962 BOAC was already "starting to" dispose of its COMET 4 fleet .... and which might have resulted in early, if not prompt, delivery of jet equipment to TEAL .... "IF" NZ had allowed itself to be politically bullied down this particular garden path, but, which never came to pass as it was just as quickly realized that the COMET 4 was too small for TEAL's future traffic projections and its range also too limited for the airlines intended/future route expansion a well.

A similar battle played out also between NZ NATIONAL AIRWAYS CORPORATION and the UK too in the case of the BAC ONE-ELEVEN versus the B737-200 and DC-9 as this particular airline was also seeking a short-haul pure jet successor to its VISCOUNT 808 fleet during the mid/late 1960's .... as per the following artwork concepts ....



The B737-200 won the NZNAC order as both the slatless winged BAC ONE-ELEVEN and DC-9-10 were deemed unable to fly slow/comfortably enough within the occasionally severe turbulance associated with the WEL approach.

Other civil jet candidates also considered by TEAL during the early 1960's were the CV-880 and CV-990 (both proving to be a corporate disaster though and which the airline steered well clear of) .... as well as the developing and much more advanced VC-10 too.

NZNAC, like Australia's TAA, had also at one stage even considered the CARAVELLE as well.

I found this artwork of a "WHAT IF" COMET 4 concept in TEAL livery of the early 1960's ....



.... along with the following concept also in respect of both the B707 and VC-10 depicted here in late 1960's era AIR NEW ZEALAND livery .... neither of which became a reality though ...



Had NZ gone the B707 way then I tend to think it might have been in regard to the short-fuselage and longer ranging B707-138B (as first operated by QANTAS) .... and possibly being joined, or even replaced later, by the B707-320B ADV and/or -320C later (just as QANTAS did also). As things came to pass though .... I think the DC-8-52 was "the better" choice for AIR NZ. Despite the fact it was slightly slower than the B707 (with its reduced wing sweep), the DC-8 apparently offered a smoother ride in rough air than the B707 was reputed to offer .... and .... the DC-8 was also apparently a more versatile and valuable aircraft later on the world market due its cargo conversion potential .... and which saw AIR NZ, during the early 80's, and at the insistence of the then NZ government, convert its already by this time withdrawn and stored DC-8-52 ZK-NZD into a DC-8-54F Jet trader, despite the fact that AIR NZ was never particularly keen to undertake "pure air freight" type operations. During the toughening global economic times of the early to mid 1980's though AIR NZ's DC-8-54F was, for a time, the only aircraft in its fleet that was actually recording "a profit".

AIR NZ might also have acquired the longer ranging DC-8 SUPER 62 or SUPER 63 too .... had it not opted for the far more modern and advanced DC-10-30 when it did and which, once again, was "the better" choice given that consumers/travellers were, by the 70's era, demanding greater comfort and superior/higher standards of service than could be provided on the like of both the B707 and DC-8 aircraft.

Personally I've never been keen on "WHAT IF" type aircraft from an FS perspective (just a reflection of the time required/wasted attending to something that never actually existed) .... but .... from a "historic" perspective the "might have been's" are often as interesting as the "has been's" (as well as the future "maybe's" too) by virtue of the fact they were, once upon a time, "seriously considered".

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[alex94]

Very interesting mark, never had any idea. I think that ANZ livery looks very smart on the vc10

[Herman]

Interesting account, including the art work, of ANZ's selection of jetliner equipment.

Herman

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

ANZ's selection of jetliner equipment

"CONSIDERATION" rather than "selection" .... as none of it (the above) came to pass

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[mobianstoryteller]

The 707 looks very smart in the TEAL livery, I would have personally liked to have seen it wear the Kuro livery of the 1970s as well
Also makes me wonder what the Qantas livery would have looked on aircraft such as the 737-200, 727, DC-10 (They leased a Martinair frame but it was never painted in the livery) etc.

[cgw444]

The 707 DC-8 AND the VC-10? That would have been the coolest airline of them all.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

AIR NEW ZEALAND would never have gone the British way .... because it was, at the time, too closely affiliated with DOUGLAS/McDONNELL-DOUGLAS through the DC-6 .... and the DC-8-52 was "the better" aircraft choice for ANZ's services. The COMET was way too small capacity-wise and its range too limited .... and although the VC-10 "was" a very good long range aircraft (despite BOAC apparently doing a lot to harm its image), and "did" service both NZ and Australia, with both BOAC and BRITISH AIRWAYS, it was better for hot and high type operations such as those associated with some of these airlines African destinations.

LOCKHEED might have been a candidate .... given ANZ's association with the L-188 ELECTRA .... but .... between the L-188 and L-1011 TRISTAR it/LOCKHEED never offered anything to compete with the B707, CV-880, CV-990, and DC-8. Prior to committing to the DC-10-30 and having been subject to a degree of "corporate pressure/enticement" ANZ was a serious contender for the L-1011 TRISTAR though .... but .... following the RR/LOCKHEED debacle it then remained with McDONNELL-DOUGLAS.

The CV-880 and CV-990 were entirely unsuitable for ANZ's type of operations .... and although considered these were never serious contenders anyway.

QANTAS were keen that ANZ should go the BOEING way .... with the B707 .... but .... being New Zealander's (and at that time a country of some 3 million "individualists") we just "had to" do things "differently/our own way" (although QF appear to have followed ANZ's example for once by recently acquired B787-9's) and despite the ANZAC spirit which will forever bond our 2 nations together

In the case of NZ NATIONAL AIRWAYS CORPORATION .... the British government, of the time (mid 1960's) "did" try to pressure/bully NZ into buying British (even to the extent of actually threatening NZ's trade quota to the UK if we didn't .... anyone whom has had any long and close association with New Zealander's will undoubtedly be aware that despite the fact we're a very small country we're also one/a people that won't be pushed around/bullied on the world stage) .... but realistically .... the BAC ONE-ELEVEN wasn't suitable for the NZ conditions (especially in regard to operating into, and out of, Wellington), And despite ANZ's, by this time, commitment to DOUGLAS/McDONNELL-DOUGLAS in regard to the DC-8-52 .... NZNAC also rejected the DC-9-10 too after MDC's sales pitches .... primarily because it considered the DC-9 was unable to fly slow enough (due to its slat-less wing .... the DC-9-20 wasn't being marketed at the time) in order to be able to comfortably cope with the very worst of Wellington's conditions .... therefore it opted to go the B737-200 way even before the B737-100/200 had ever flown .... a decision that was made by NZNAC solely on the strength of its trust in BOEING and known B727 performance.

When the time came for NZNAC to acquire its B737-200 training simulator though .... there was an amusing exchange between a particular NZNAC executive and the NZ TRANSPORT MINISTER of the period (late 1960's) in regard to the airline opting "not" to buy British despite the NZ governments attempts at advancing the British lobby in favour of the UK. That particular exchange went something like as follows ....

NZ TRANSPORT MINISTER to NZNAC executive: "You got the bloody aeroplane you wanted .... but .... we have to do something for the British, so, you'll buy bloody British (the simulator), and bloody-well like it"

NZNAC executive in reply NZ TRANSPORT MINISTTER: "We'll buy it Minister (if you insist) .... but .... we won't bloody-well like it"

Mark C
NKL/NZ

[cgw444]

Interesting info.