Poor eyesight ruled him out of enlisting, so the North Taieri 61-year-old is realising his dream by building his own warplane - a three-quarter scale replica of a World War 2 North American P-51D Mustang.
The original P-51D was powered by a Packard V-1650, a two-stage two-speed supercharged version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and was armed with six 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns.
The RNZAF operated 30 P-51D aircraft (NZ2401-2430) in the Territorial Air Force from 1952 to 1957.
Although Mr Anderson's replica will look almost identical to NZ2426, which was flown from Taieri airfield between 1952 and 1955 by the No 4 (Otago) Territorial Air Force Squadron, his kitset replica will be a two-seater powered by a 100hp Rotax 912 engine and will be minus the heavy fire power.
It is not surprising Mr Anderson has a passion for aviation and Mustangs.
He lived next to the Taieri airfield for much of his life and, when his parents died, he bought the family home so he could remain close to the airfield.
He learnt to fly when he was 17 but, when he failed to "make the muster" for the RNZAF, he steered away from flying until his wife bought him flying lessons for his birthday in 1989.
"That rekindled my love of flying."
Soon after, he began building kitset aeroplanes.
Mr Anderson said the Mustang was not his first building project.
He has also built a Kit Fox (two-seater microlight) and a Taylor Monoplane (single-seater microlight).
"It's a phenomenon that's going around the world.
People are building microlights because they're a cheaper way to enter into flying.
"A plane like a Cessna 182 could cost up to $400,000, whereas to build your own microlight costs between $30,000 and $40,000 and upwards."
He just happened to see his most recent building project - the Mustang - on a website in 2005 and bought it, he said.
"I liked the look of it.
"I'm fulfilling my dreams of flying a warplane in another way," he said.
It was hoped the P-51D would be complete and airborne in the next few months, and Mr Anderson was looking forward to getting into the cockpit.
The plane has a top speed of 322kmh, cruises at 241kmh and is fully aerobatic.
"It's rated to do 6g turns. I think 3g will be enough for me, though."
