Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Early Unregistered Microlights - Skycraft Scouts

Although there were early ultralights flying in America as I have previously posted, there was an even earlier microlight in Australia - the Skycraft Scout which first flew in May 1974.

The Skycraft Scout was developed by Ron Wheeler, a Sydney boatbuilder, from his earlier hang glider the Tweetie.  The Scout was the was the first rigid wing ultralight/microlight aircraft to be produced commercially in the world.  I think the first Mark 1 Scouts were also called also called Tweeties.

Naturally, being "just across the ditch" there was early interest in the Scout in New Zealand and several were imported before 1981 when MAANZ was formed and when microlights didn't have to be registered.

It is difficult to find out much about these very early Scouts but Murray Hagen reckons there were two in Southland in 1981 owned by Dion Buchanan and Stewart Kerr and rumours of two more in Canterbury.  And I have also found a reference to one that was imported by a Mr May of Inglewood in Taranaki in 1980.  I think there could have been more - can anyone provide any other information?

I understand that this is a Tweetie hang glider flying in New Zealand, from the NZ Hang Gliding and Paramotor Association website.

And in this photo of Skycraft Scout ZK-EYO you can see that it did not take much to turn a Tweetie hang glider into a Scout microlight.  The photo was taken at Waitohi on 5/4/85 by Bob Kerr.