Mr Holder is happy his creations have landed there.
"They have a strong air force association in the RSA. There's a lot of nostalgia around World War II aircraft," he said.
"Aircraft development made huge advances in the war. They started with planes made of wood and canvas and ended with jets."
Mr Holder suggested school visits to see the aircraft could be educational for students.
The cost of the balsa, cedar, macrocarpa, kauri and other materials used to make the planes came to only about $350, but he spent thousands of hours building the aircraft. Templates for their construction were made to scale using drawings he got from magazines and completed planes were painted with national insignia or camouflage colours used in the war.
"It's interesting, although it's one of those hobbies where you occasionally wonder why you started doing it," Mr Holder said.
The 75-year-old was a mechanic and truck driver in Hawke's Bay and Rotorua until "popped discs" in his back led to his 1986 surgery.
It took him a long time to regain the use of his legs after the operation and he took up model-making while he was immobile.
"It's therapeutic - you forget about your aches and pains and wanting medication."
Mr Holder had no favourites among his hundreds of replica warbirds that he wanted to keep when his collection moved to the RSA. Now the planes have flown out of his Maunu home he is concentrating on his other hobby - painting.
"The house is now full of oil paintings," he said.
Aircraft enthusiasts may view the exhibition by arrangement only with RSA management on 09-438 3792.
