PLANE MANUFACTURE

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 55, 3 September 1945, Page 6

PLANE MANUFACTURE

PLANS FOR PEACE YEARS

Thousands of New Zealand airmen gained their first flying experience for the war in training planes manufactured by New Zealand men and women at tne De Havilland aircraft factory at Rongotai; now the company is moving on to peacetime work. Operations began m 1939 with a staff of four—three experienced technicians from the parent factories in England and the first manager, Mr. Hugh Buckingham. At the peak of wartime production the company employed a staff of over 400 men and women, all of whom were trained by the original expert staff. During the six years 300 Tiger Moths, standard trainers for elementary flying, in the R A.F., were made at Rongotai and many hundred aircraft and engines were overhauled. . One of the purposes of the visit to the factory by the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) last week was to discuss the change-over from war to peace work and manufacture with the general manager (Mr. N. E. Higgs) and other officers of the company. The discussion, said Mr. Higgs today, was most useful and helpful. Apart from its advisory and technical service to New Zealand aviation generally, the company had extensive plans for the postwar years in the supply of modern craft suitable for Dominion conditions. One most interesting machine, he said, was the 11-seater De Havilland Dove, an all-metal, tricycle "undercart" plane, which should fulfil requirements on a number of services in this country ex-. cellently. Two of these planes, he said, were already on order for New Zealand.. ■ \ ...

Another interesting angle of the discussions was the future of Aero Club activities in New Zealand.