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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 0388.PDF
expected. Although versions with both powerplant will be made available, the TPE-331 is considered to have slight advantages in agricultural operations. US agricultural dressing companies are reported to be showing considerable interest in the tur bine Fletcher. The Fletcher 1160 uses a basic FU-24 airframe, stretched 12ft in the cargo area and reinforced in the rear fuselage to handle stresses induced by higher speeds and greater payloads. The centre wing is also stronger and 12in has been added to each outer panel. Exceptional take-off and climb performance is claimed and Beta control provides steep angle, fully controlled short landings. Basic data of the 1160 is as follows: Wing span, 44ft; length, 35ft 3in; height, 9ft 4in; current max take-off weight 5,450lb; projected g.w., 6,3001b; hopper capacity, 350 US gal; current airspeed limits, manoeuvring, 132 m.p.h. IAS; max-struc- tural cruise 154 m.p.h; flaps extended, 97 m.p.h.. never exceed. 193 m.p.h. Agricultural Trends Recent trends in agricultural aviation formed the theme of this year's meeting of the Royal Aero nautical Society's Agricultural Aviation Group, held in London last week. The bulk of those present represented, it seemed, the agricultural chemical industry, actual operators of agricultural aircraft being rather thin on the ground. Perhaps, in spite of the weather, they were already busy with the spring top-dressing season—certainly the wet conditions over most of the country seem likely to keep the ground machines off the land for a while. One operator who was present, Mr Laddie Marmol of ADS Aerial, Southend, told Flight that his company, in conjunction with Ciba Pilatus, had sprayed some two million acres in Indonesia in recent months; the work was done with Turbo Porters equipped with Decca Navigator, which is showing wide possibilities for the guidance of large-scale agricultural opera tions. A portable Decca chain designed for survey work was used; pilots fly with a simple left-right indicator driven by the Decca equipment, and the accuracy, according to Mr Marmol, is limited more or less by the pilot's own capability. Progress with ultra-low-volume spraying was reviewed by Mr M. R. Middleton, who said that the US Air Force had recently treated one million acres in a month in the Rio Grande Valley. In Thailand, it had been found that applica tion at only 6 fl oz per acre gave excellent control of mosquitoes. The improvement in accident rates in Australian agri cultural aviation, and the part played by the Government in achieving this, were outlined by Mr Ian Perry, London Representative of the Australian Department of Civil Avia tion; the accident rate, he said, had been reduced from 14^ per 10,000hr 12 years ago to 3.58 per 10,000hr in 1967, a year in which 122,800hr had been flown in agriculture. 364 FLIGHT International, 6 March 1969 COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS Left, Air Parts of New Zealand is now conducting field trials with the Fletcher FU-24 Model 1160 powered by a Garrett TPE-331. An idea of the usefulness of the FU-24 as a general freighter may be gained from the right-hand picture, where a spare piston engine is being loaded into on ordinary piston-engined FU-24. See page 363 In the early post-war years, he recalled, the industry had relied on converted aircraft such as the Tiger Moth, and the only qualification required of a pilot had been "a commercial licence and the inherent ability to avoid obstructions." But starting in the 1960s regulations had been introduced covering pilot ratings, operators' licences, airworthiness and flight-time limitations. Most operators, he said, had welcomed the regula tions and had recognised their necessity; and "those who were not prepared to conform have now left the industry." During 1963-65 the Tiger Moth had finally been phased out in favour of more modern types. Night flying was now being permitted in certain areas of Australia on a trial basis—but only after a certain amount of heart-searching by the department, in view of "horrifying" reports from abroad. For the future, said Mr Perry, there was a need for greater education of pilots and operators in air safety matters; and one of the most pressing needs was for a method of marking high- tension wires, collision with which was still the biggest cause of accidents. A representative of the UK Board of Trade. Mr P. R. Sherlock, outlined progress being made by the current Euro pean working party on regulations and legislation organised by the International Agricultural Aviation Centre. Mr Sherlock indicated that, so far as the UK is concerned, attempts to introduce a mandatory operations manual for agricultural flying may now be dropped, and that it has been found impos sible to parallel public transport regulations too closely. Cessna 421 C of A An ARB Public Transport C of A has been issued for a 1968 Cessna Model 421 pressurised turbo charged piston-engined twin. Modifications to the aircraft (G-AWBK) to meet ARB requirements were made by Rogers Aviation Ltd at Cranfield. Another Model 421 is currently undergoing certification work, and the 1969 version, a Model 421A (Pressurised) has also been ordered for delivery this month. Price of the latter, meeting ARB Public Transport requirements, is less than £106,000 fly-away Cranfield, fully IFR equipped. Metros in Arizona Apache Airlines, the scheduled com muter operator of Phoenix, Arizona, has ordered six Fairchild Hiller/Swearingen Metros. Another three have been ordered by Rocky Mountains Airways, the Denver operator who provides services to the Colorado ski resorts. According to Business Aviation RMA expects to receive its first Metro this autumn, provided that Fairchild Hiller sees sufficient interest give Swearingen production clearance for the 20-seal twin- turboprop aircraft. The company, which is said to have 30 letters of intent, is waiting until it has enough firm orders.
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