Hiller ZK-HAP

The Hiller UH-12E ZK-HAP (c/n 2075 2076) played a significant part in the early history of the NZ rotary wing scene. It appeared on the US register in August of 1960 as N5378V to the Hiller Aircraft Corporation at Palo Alto in Californnia. It entered the NZ listings on 04-10-1963 as ZK-HAP to Whirl Wide Aviation Ltd of Hastings, first flying there on 20-11-1963. I believe it was given the name "Aotearoa 1". A name change to Whirl Wide Helicopters Ltd  of Timaru was applied on 01-11-1969.

Above : ZK-HAP as seen at Timaru on 03-08-1971. It appears to have the Company name written under the cockpit.
Below: as seen at Wanganui on 25-09-1972 with "Douglas" on the tail boom.

An ownership change on 05-05-1972 had it listed to Douglas R Bushby of Christchurch, and then to Thames Aerial Top Dressing Co Ltd of Thames on 06-10-1975.
Pic below was taken at Thames with TAT script on 05-09-1979.

It was rolled on a hill at Paparata on 30-05-1980 and was cancelled on 01-12-1980.

Airwork (NZ) Ltd picked it up and rebuilt it, re-registering it again on 18-02-1981; First flight after rebuild being on 24-01-1981. It was then sold abroad and cancelled on 06-08-1981 to become VH-FFU followed by a spell as P2-JMF at Ihu in PNG between 1982 and 1985, before returning to VH-FFU in February of 1985. It was cancelled on 27-01-1991.