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North American Harvard

Built under a RAF contract as EX589, and under arrangements for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, NZ1034 was delivered to the Royal New Zealand Air Force(RNZAF) at Hobsonville on 20 April 1943. From mid-1943 until early 1944 NZ1034 served with No 30 Squadron at Darton Field, Gisborne, until moving to the RNZAF's Central Flying School in Tauranga, where it stayed until July 1944. NZ1034 was then transferred to Nos 2 and 4 Operational Training Units at RNZAF Ohakea, until the cessation of hostilities in August 1945. After some time in storage at RNZAF Ashburton, the aircraft was then returned to service with the Flying Training School at RNZAF Wigram in October 1951.

On 1 September 1952, NZ1034 was placed in long term storage at Wigram, and in 1955 moved to No 1 Repair Depot at RNZAF Woodbourne for refurbishment and modifications. In November of that year NZ1034 returned to Wigram as unit equipment, both with the Flying Training School and the Central Flying School, finally being retired on 13 September 1962 with 3900 flying hours. In 1977, the RNZAF Harvard fleet was up for disposal, and NZ1034 was one of the aircraft retained as a historic display aircraft. After a partial restoration at RNZAF Ohakea, the aircraft moved around various displays at the base until being gifted to the RAAF to mark the Australian Bicentennial. NZ1034 has been painted in the markings of NZ947, a wartime Harvard flown by Australian pilots as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme.

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