Built by the de Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd at Stag Lane, London, this DH60G Gipsy Moth c/n 927 gained it UK CofA on 29-12-1928. It was issued the G-NZEC registration in the UK on 09-10-1928, just prior to New Zealand being allocated its individual nationality registration prefix of 'ZK' which took effect from 01-01-1929.
G-NZEC was allocated the New Zealand registration of ZK-AAD with its CofA allocated on 15-03-1929, listed to Air Survey & Transport Co Ltd of Auckland and it arrived painted as ZK-AAD at Lyttelton the following month.
It evidently flew as a demonstrator for a year - until its CofA expired and was then stored and partially cannibalised. Restored to airworthiness in 1931 and sold to A C McIntosh of Invercargill in September of 1932, who gave it the name "Bell-Bird".
Following damage at Queenstown on 17-12-1932 it was rebuilt by NZ Airways Ltd at Timaru and by 10-08-1937 was with M E Spiers of Greymouth. I believe the following day it had a forced landing.
Six months later, on 16-02-1938, it struck a fence on take-off from Whataroa and its registration was cancelled on 03-06-1938.
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