Thorp T-18 ZK-EDF & Maurice Paton Special ZK-MPS

The previous posting mentions the Thorp T-18 Tiger ZK-EDF. Greg McNicol broke the North Cape to Bluff record in this aircraft before selling it in January 1989 to J M Jones of Manaia, who in turn sold it to Maurice Paton of Fernside (near Rangiora) on 06-07-1996.
Maurice had his own airstrip and a workshop above his garage in which he designed and built the Maurice Paton (Special) Monoswift. The Thorp was used as a basis for this design. It is a single seat with the forward fuselage and air intake designed to be like the early NA 51 Mustang. As you can see it has retractable undercarriage. The engine is a 4 litre Rover V8 extracted from a Discovery. It was registered as ZK-MPS on 24-09-2003. Maurice sold the Thorp to Garrick Andrews of Wellington on 14-04-2004; It then went to Mark Gawith at Taupo on 26-01-2006 and it is now with Kevin Foster of Whenuapai from 09-03-2007.
ZK-MPS is now hangared at Rangiora.