A strikingly unusual aircraft, the PL-11 Airtruck was developed from the Kingsford Smith PL.7 as a replacement for the de Havilland Tiger Moth in the New Zealand aerial topdressing market by Luigi Pellarini for Waitomo Aircraft.

The prototype was constructed using bits of war surplus ex-RNZAF North American Harvards.

It featured all aluminium structure, a high-wing monoplane with a steel stub wing and V lift struts, steerable tricycle undercarriage, an extremely stubby pod fuselage, the cockpit (made from shortened Harvard glazing) being mounted directly over the radial engine, providing excellent forward view and very high drag, beneath it was room for a superphosphate hopper or up to 5 people in a cabin.

Despite the outlandish appearance, the Airtruck was surprisingly successful, if unable to compete with the Fletcher Fu24 in its design market.

The first Bennett Airtruck, ZK-BPV, took to the air on 2 August 1960,[1] and crashed during trials in October 1963.