SALE WELCOMED

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32977, 25 July 1972, Page 2

SALE WELCOMED

fN.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 24. The Minister of Defence (Mr McCready), sees the Australian decision to buy the New Zealand-made Airtrainer as tangible evidence of the usefulness of the New Zealand-Australia Defence Procurement Agreement. The Minister of Overseas Trade (Mr Taiboys) described the Australian decision as “excellent news.” “It bears out the Government’s conviction that New Zealand industry has a worth-while part to play in meeting the defence needs of the two countries,” he said. “An especially satisfying feature of this decision is that the New Zealanddeveloped aircraft has been selected on its merits from several contenders on a world-wide basis. Mr Taiboys, in explaining that the opportunity to compete for this order arose as a result of the machinery set up under the memorandum of understanding on co-operation in defence supply some three years ago, said that great credit must go to the managing director of Aero Engine Services, Ltd (Mr A. M. Coleman). Having recognised the possibilities of basing a design on the Australian Aircruiser, a non-aerobatic four-seat civilian aircraft, Mr Coleman’s achievement in nine months of redesign and construction of a flying prototype to meet a staff requirement for a fully aerobatic military basic flying training aircraft was remarkable, the Minister said.