FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0488.PDF
312 FLIGHT MARCH 17TH, 1949 DUSTING BY AUTOCRAT New Auster Variant for Soil Fertilization and Pest Control EXPERIENCE at home and abroad in thg past few more powerful J/5 (130 h.p. Gipsy Major 1) are alterna-years has shown that the work of.crop-dustrhg and tively available, with correspondingly greater powder orspraying and'pest control can Jje efficiently under- liquid capacity. It is appropriate here to summarize briefly the main features of current Auster aircraft. General application of the heading "Auster" to each of the firm's separate taken by both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft of suit- able performance*." A prospective operator of the latter type of machine equipped for such duties will in- evitably demand that it should possess an equal measure of economy, simplicity and dura- bility. That these vital virtues are an inherent quality of the well- tried Auster series will be attested by many private owners and flying clubs, so that an Autocrat adapted by Anster Aircraft, Ltd., for spraying or dusting should consti- tute a most suitable offering for a market that is probably world- wide. The design differs from the stan- dard Autocrat mainly in its special- ized equipment, of which two types are available. The Auster '' duster '' will carry between 300 and 400 lb of insecticide or ferti- lizer powder, according to density, in a hopper behind the dual seats. A windmill fitted to the port side of the fuselage operates agitators inside the hopper through re- duction gearing. The amount of powder dispersed can be regulated from the cockpit through a sliding-gate valve in the simple venturi which shrouds the cabin-floor orifice. When D.D:T; powder is spread at the quoted minimum rate of J lb per acre, a single flight can thus give protec- tion to as much as 800 acres. For areas where liquid-dispersal is considered desirable, on either crops or malaria-infested swamps, the spray- The disposition of the hopper, windmill, and —under the floor—venturi are apparent in this sketch of the Autocrat "duster." aircraft types, such as the Avis and Arrow, or the various A.O.P. marks, has possibly obscured the fact that they differ considerably in power, performance, equipment and capacity. Leading particulars of the present civilian models are as follows: — AUTOCRAT : A three-seat aircraft originally known as the J/i, powered by a Cirrus Minor II. Take-off dis- tance at 1,850 lb all-up weight, 212 yd; disposable load, 792 lb; range, 320 miles. ARROW: Two-seater with a 75 h.p.- Continental horizontally opposed engine. All-up weight 1,450 lb, of which 578 lb are disposable. Speeds: max., 98 m.p.h.; cruising, 87; stall- ing, 37 m.p.h. Take-off run 150 yd;range 320 miles. J/4: More powerful version of the Arrow, having a 90 h.p. Cirrus Minor I. Avis: Changed fuselage structure allows four seats for charter or business work; available also as an ambulance. Gipsy Major 10 of 145 h.p. gives max. speed of 113 m.p.h. Avis stalls, with flaps down, at 40 m.p.h. All-up weight is 2,550 lb, with 1,070 lb disposable load. A range of 500 miles at all-up weight is specified. J/5: Differs from the Autocrat mainly in power unit (Gipsy Major I), and has a long-range tank as standard equipment. Equipped for spraying, the Autocrat delivers a 70ft-wide mist on crops or swamps. equipped model Has been developed. A windmill-driven pump, in an installation similar to that of the dusting version, transfers insecticide from the 40-gall cabki tank to a 14ft spray-tube mounted horizontally beneath the fuselage. Ten jets are fitted—calibrated according to the viscosity of the liquid—and give a mist which is deposited in a 7oft-wide swathe. During the company's development tests up to three acres have been covered by one gallon, although this amount can be increased. Delivery within six weeks is quoted for both types of Autocrat. With dusting installation, the aircraft is priced at ^1,470, and the spraying version costs ^25 more. Powered by a 100 h.p. Cirrus Minor II, the Autocrat has a maximum speed of 120 m.p.h. when flying at an all-up weight of 1,700 lb. As it cruises at 100 m.p.h. and stalls at 28 m.p.h., it will be seen that crop-protection is greatly facilitated by a wide speed-range. Two versions of the Mar. FORTHCOMING EVENTS 17th—Roya! Aeronautical Society: "The Design of Propellers",y y g p, J. Muilin, B.Sc.(Eng.), A.F.R.Ae.S., and C. G. I. Gardiner. Mar. 18th.—Institute of Navigation : " The Use of Radar Beacons." K. A. B. Gilfillan, M.B.E. Mar. 22nd.—R.Ae.S. Belfast): "Civil Aviation—Present and Future," P. G. Masefield, M.A., F.R.Ae.S., G.I.Mech.E. Mar. 22nd.—Royal Aeronautical Society : Joint Meeting with the Airport Engineering Division of Civil Engineers. Mar. 23rd.—Royal Aero Club : Annual General Meeting. Mar. 23rd.—R.Ae.S. (Luton) : Members' Discussion Evening. Mar. 23rd.—R.Ae.S. (Leicester): Films. Mar. 23rd.—R.Ae.S. (Graduates' and Students' Section): Annual General Mar. 24th.—R.Ae.S. (Isle of Wight): Brains Trust. Mar. 24th.—The Science Museum r " The Aircraft Collection," G. Tilghman Richards, M.I.Meeh.E., F.R.Ae.S. Mar. 26th.—Edinburgh Flying Club : " At Home," Mscmerry, Edinburgh. Mar. 26th.—Rugby Football, Twickenham. The Army versus Royal Air Force. Mar. 30th.—R.Ae.S. (Weybridge) : Junior Prize Lecture. Mar. 30th.—R.Ae.S. (Gloucester and Cheltenham): " Radar Aids in Aero- nautics," Dr. S. F. Evans, M.Sc, Ph.D. At Cheltenham. Mar. 30th.—Royal Air Force Club : Annual General Meeting. Mar. 31st.—Royal Aeronautical Society : " Repeated Loading of Aircraft Structures," Dr. P. B. Walker, M.A., F.R.Ae.S. Mar. 31st.—R.F.C. and R.N.A.S. Reunion, Londonderry House, W.I April 2nd.—British Interplanetary Society : " Astronautics and Astro- nomy," M. W. Ovenden, B.Sc, F.R.A.S. April 4th.—R.Ae.S. (Derby) : " Rocket Propulsion and Inter-p^anetary Flight," A. V. Cleaver, A.R.Ae.S. April 5th.—R.Ae.S. (Belfast) : Evening of films by William Courtenay, M.M. April 6th.—R.Ae.S. (Weybridge) : " Historical Review of Aircraft Development," Sir Frederick Handley Page, C.B.E., F.R.Ae.S. April 6th.—R.Ae.S. (Luton) : Film Show. April 6th.—R.Ae.S. (Graduates' and Students' Section): "The Trend of Jet Engine Development," A. A. Lombard, A.F.R.Ae S. April 7th.—Royal Aeronautical Society : " Investigation of Aircraft Accidents in Relation to Aircraft Design," A. Cdre. Vernon Brown, C.B., O.B.E., M.A., A.F.R.Ae.S. April 12th.—R.Ae.S. (Belfast) : Annual General Meeting. April 13th.—R.Ae.S. (Leicester): Annual General Meeting and Members' Papers. April 13th.—R.Ae.S. (Brough) : " Brabazon Aircraft," Mr. Poilicut. April 15th.—Institute of Navigation : " The Influence of Echo Sounding," A. J. Hughes, O.B.E. April 18th.—United Services Flying Club : Air Display at Elstree in aid Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen's Families Association. April 19th.—R.Ae.S. (Graduates'and Students' Section): "The Meaning and Measurement of Stability Derivatives," P Fink, B.E. T. V :6
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
