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Story: Aviation

Aircraft used on the main trunk route

Aircraft Speed (kph/mph) Passengers Year introduced
de Havilland 86 Express 227/141 12 1936
Lockheed 10A Electra 298/185 10 1937
Lockheed Lodestar 312/194 15 1943
Douglas DC-3 257/160 26 1947
Vickers V807 Viscount 528/328 62 1958
Boeing 737-200 788/492 117 1968

During the life of the National Airways Corporation, from 1947 to 1978, the aircraft used went from pre-war types to modern jets. This table shows the increase in speed, and in the number of passengers carried by successive NAC aircraft.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Peter Aimer

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How to cite this page

Peter Aimer, Aviation – Onward and upward: 1940s to 1960s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/table/9062/aircraft-used-on-the-main-trunk-route (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Peter Aimer, published 2 March 2009.