WONZ 336 – Ventura and Pacific Kittyhawk

Guest: Malcolm Laird

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 29th of September 2025

Published: 30th of September 2025

Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes, 48 seconds

Joining Dave Homewood on the Wings Over New Zealand Show this episode is Malcolm Laird of Ventura Publications. Malcolm has spent decades working in aviation publishing and the model aircraft industry, and is one of New Zealand’s most well known model products manufacturers.

His company Ventura Publications produces decal sets as aftermarket add-ons to scale model kitsets. He also researches, writes and and publishes books on aviation topics and Air Force history, often in collaboration with other historians. He has also been a small-run kitset manufacturer, both vacuum formed and injection moulded, through his original company Falcon Models, which is now owned by Tory Martin.

Malcolm discusses all this, and he details his newly released book, Pacific Kittyhawk, which he has co-authored with the eminent RNZAF historian, David Duxbury.

Quick Links:

• Ventura Publications website

• Ventura Publications on Facebook

• NZDF Serials (Part of ADF Serials)

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Photo Archive Page

Below is a video version of the episode so you can see the books and models Malcolm is discussing:

Below are some examples of the decal instructions, etc., from the Ventura Publications Facebook page:

Check out this video Malcolm made for Brett Green’s Hyperscale site giving a great overview of Pacific Kittyhawk.

The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.