Last month, he returned there with his family and a special plaque from Dundee’s Lord Provost, John Letford, to hand over to the museum.

Findlay’s son Jim said, “About 10 years ago Dad made some models of seaplanes including the Maia and Mercury flying boat, which were featured on Grampian Television. The Imperial War museum at Duxford saw them and asked him if he would make some models for them too.

“Then, eight years ago someone from the Australian Aviation Museum, which is in Bankstown just outside Sydney, asked if Dad could also make a model for them.

“We decided to go out to Australia to see Dad’s model this summer, so Dad contacted his local Councillor, Charles Webster, who very kindly got in touch with the Lord Provost, and he gave us a plaque to take over to the museum.”

Findlay Mackenzie presented the plaque to Trevor Dean, Vice President of the Australian Aviation Museum, who will be displaying it in the foyer of the museum.

Jim continued, “Dad really enjoyed his visit to the museum. They treated him like a celebrity, and he was interviewed about his life and building the model, which is going to be used as part of an interactive project for Sydney school children.

Model making is a hobby Mr Mackenzie has enjoyed for over thirty years. He is a member of the Dundee Model Boat Club and has made many models of aircraft and ocean liners.

The Mercury’s 6400 mile flight from Dundee to Alexander Bay in 1938 — using the larger Maia as an airborne take-off platform — remains the longest by a seaplane.