De Havilland DH-89 Dragon Rapide ZK-AKU Rotorua Aerial Charter v1.0

De Havilland DH-89 Dragon Rapide ZK-AKU Rotorua Aerial Charter v1.0

This folder contains a repaint for the de Havilland DH-89 Dragon Rapide by Dave Garwood, in the colors of DH-89B ZK-AKU (cn 6662), which was the last of the original three Rapides of Union Airways to open up the Cook Strait services after WW II. It is flew in NZNAC service, named “Tawaka”. ZK-AKU was sold in 1963 to the Nelson Aero Club and then to Patchett Safaris of Christchurch in 1965. Rotorua Aerial Charter purchased it in 1967. This is the paint scheme depicted here. It was sold to D. Gray, Auckland in 1968. It took part in the London to Sydney Air Race in 1969, and remained at Bankstown for a while following the race, during which time Greg Banfield took the third shot below early on the morning of 5 January 1970. ZK-AKU is currently still airworthy and based at Ardmore. It is now painted as “warbird” NZ528, its RNZAF serial during the war.
Repaint by Jan Kees Blom, based on the paintkit by Dave Garwood.