Built by Avro between January and July 1943.

Built to test Saunders' metal hull design by replacing the wooden one on a Supermarine Southampton II. The new hull showed signs of structural weakness after 50 hours. Despite strengthening, the hull continued to deteriorate and the test program ended at 75 hours. Saunders persisted with the design and the same construction technique was used on the Cutty Sark, Cloud, Windhover and London. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

The first of two prototypes of the CE-1 (for Coastal Experimental). This one is powered by an RAF 3 V12 and the second was fitted with a Sunbeam Maori. They proved inferior to other flying boats and were scrapped. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Ex D-781. Ordered by the Air Ministry for evaluation. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

N184 was the second of two Rohrbach Ro IV flying boats built for the Air Ministry. The first, N183, was built by Rohrbach at Copenhagen. It was destroyed during strength testing after displaying poor handling and performance during testing. N184 was assembled in the UK by Beardmore using German-made parts. Its performance remained poor and the project was cancelled. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

A very interesting photo as D-AKYI is not a known registration. No information about date and place but the Nazi war flag flown here dates from November 1935. The Ju 52s seem to be Ju 52/3mg3e bomber/transport planes. Our hunch is that this picture may show aircraft departing to Spain to help Franco airlift his troops from Morocco to start the Civil War in July 1936. Few details are known about this airlift. Ju 52s presumably reached Spain via Fascist Italy, but would have needed to overfly Austria which still existed. This might explain improvised civilian registrations. Note that the D prefix is not entirely certain. Photo from: Life

The Air Yacht was built for A. E Guinness for pleasure cruising in the Mediterranean. The aircraft was underpowered, so Guinness bought a Saro Cloud instead. The Air Yacht , which has been re-engined for more power, went into storage until acquired by a wealthy American named June Jewett James in October 1932 . She wanted to use it to cruise the Mediterranean too. The Air Yacht, named Windward III, set off from Southampton to cruise to Egypt but was damaged taking off at Capri in January 1933. The damaged G-AASE was scrapped. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

V8914 was lost in a crash on April 7, 1940, only two weeks into its flight test program. The cause was aileron flutter. The wreckage was left on the bottom of the Firth of Clyde as a war grave to the three crew killed in the accident. While the concept of a retractable hull was considered proven, the project was cancelled. The idea was revived in September 1941 then cancelled again two months later. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Allocated the RNZAF serial NZ1221. Lost in a midair collision with Oxford NZ1303 near Wigram on September 3, 1942. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

RG815 undertook a mission to liaise with RAF radio units between Britain and New Zealand and demonstrate the latest advances in radio communications. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Withdrawn from use and scrapped at Hobsonville in 1948. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Impressed on September 5, 1939 ex ZK-AEL. Returned to the register in 1946 as ZK-ALA. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Crashed on landing at Ohakea on August 21, 1941 while being operated by No.3 SFTS. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Ex 42-72288 and 50845 of the US Navy. Operated with nine different airlines. Damaged beyond repair in a storm at Vientiane while with Royal Air Lao as XW-PNF in March 1976. Photo from: Flight International

1935 German Air Rally. Team F1 were from the Reich Air Ministry, in other words, the air force, with seven Ar 66c aircraft. They did not well, ending up in 26th place. Photo from: Life

Ex 43-48189, delivered to the RAF as KG773 in August 1944. To Horton Airways as G-AKLL. To Iberia in 1950. To Spanish air force in 1966. Preserved at Sinsheim, Germany as "D-CADE". Photo from: Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism

The NY-3 trainer was a NY with a 240-hp Wright R-760 Whirlwind engine. 20 examples were built from 1929 and mainly served with reserve units. The second aircraft is BuNo 9411, a Berliner-Joyce OJ-2 observation aircraft ordered in May 1933. It was based here at NRAB Brooklyn - better known as Floyd Bennett Field - by 1936. It survived until 1941. Only one NY trainer was still reported in service in 1939. Photo from: Life

PH-ALI was the first DC-3 outside the United States, arriving in Rotterdam by ship in October 1936, months before PH-ALH. Although we are not certain, this looks like the scene at Schiphol after the aircraft first arrived there on 13 October, flown by John Scholte. The name Ibis is applied on the nose, but difficult to see. First revenue flight to Paris on 13 November. Served on Indies route until 1939. Was in England on 10 May 1940 and served on BOAC's Bristol - Lisbon route as G-AGBB. Survived two attacks by German fighters, but was shot down over the Bay of Biscay on 1 June 1943. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

First stop in Europe of the Electra World Premiere Flight. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

ILA 1928 was the first aviation exhibition in Germany after the end of WWI, and took place near the current Messe Berlin in three halls closer to the then new Funkturm. L-BAAF was a new A.23 airliner for ČSA. Photo from: KB - National Library of the Netherlands