ZK-APM de
Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth
(c/n 3226)
ZK-APM was a pre-war Tiger, built at
Hatfield and registered to the London Aeroplane Club
as G-ACWB. In
1940 it was shipped the RNZAF and became NZ737. This machine had a
whole series of heavy landing accidents
whilst in the hands of cadet pilots during WW II. In
1947 it was converted to civil standards
by Airwork NZ Ltd. and sold to the NZ Insurance
Company on behalf of
the Marlborough Aero Club, in whose service it is seen above. It was
sold in 1963 and had a couple more owners before diving into the sea
off Te Araroa when
the engine failed to respond after
recovering from a spin on 26 January 1979. Fortunately the
pilot escaped without major
injury. It was, to some extent, recovered from the sea, and
was, in
the late 90s,
still in store at Featherston.