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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 0020.PDF
AgRotors adds R22 to fleet Dr Carrol Voss, founder and president of AgRotors, has added Robinson R22s to his flight-training programme. The Gettysburg (Pennsyl vania) school has a 25hr- flying/55hr-ground instruc tion course, for which the entry qualification is a com mercial pilot's licence with helicopter rating. In almost 25 years of ag operations, AgRotors has operated Bell, Enstrom, Hiller, and Hughes types. Bytes Computers for ag operations: "People have always feared being taken along too fast. They opposed the wheel, the car, and the aeroplane, saying they wouldn't work, and were wrong. People who say the computer won't work aren't always wrong."—Mi/o Tenney, Farmplan Computer Services. "Don't accept jargon [from computer salesmen]. If we can't speak your language, we don't have anything to say to you."—Bruce Jahns, UCS. "The main thing we want [from a computer] is actual cost of operations—per year, per type of aircraft and oper ation, per engine-hour." —Harold Hardcastle, Texas aerial applicator. "Get the software you need to give the results you will want.. .The file we use includes aircraft and airstrip information, and the needs of the job. Computer tells us which types are best for the job, taking account of the material available and the job to be done . . .When [disease or pest] outbreaks occur, we can access the growers from our file (which includes the telephone number on their address label), and we call them."—Bill Hatfield, Michi gan aerial applicator. Michigan State University has developed PMax, a pest- management system. Services offered include environmental monitoring (to forecast pests, for example), temperature forecasting (ten districts in Michigan receive frost warnings—particularly im portant during blossom time), and biological monitoring (humidity is critical in devel opment of potato blight). 22 Biggest machine on show was PZL's mighty MIS Dromader, for which a $164,000 flyaway factory price was quoted Teledyne recommends avgas Engine-maker Teledyne Con tinental continues to recom mend avgas for its engines, rather than mogas. "We've done no special testing," says Fred Fihe, "and we've seen nothing to show if mogas is good, bad, or indifferent." He points to heavy attacks of lead in auto-fuelled aircraft engines. Nor has Teledyne Continental tested oil addi tives. It wants to hear from operators with experience of more than l,200hr between overhauls on TSIO-540 engines in ag use. This might lead to an extended TBO. There is no plan to re-introduce production of the geared-propeller Tiara engine, dropped some years ago. Teledyne continues to re build used examples to zero- time standard. AgCat appreciation society This year's spring came early to Las Vegas. Schweizer prim rose vied with stronger shades of daffodil (Thrush and Brave) and skyblue (Cessna) to bring temperate hues to the dry wastes of Nevada. Most prominent by far in the Las Vegas Convention Centre was an Ag Cat fleet comprising almost every possible variant— save, perhaps, Vtol and waterborne versions. Schweizer introduced its new Ag Cat Super B. Most ob vious change from established models is a higher top wing- raised some 8in to give better rate of climb and an improved e.g. envelope. The change makes the Ag Cat B more productive, says engineering vice-president Les Schweizer. The improved visibility means that only the fuel gauge obstructs the pilot's field of view. Schweizer has returned to the taller tail fin of the ear lier A model. The new model (from Ag Cat No 709B) is available with the 450 h.p. Pratt & Whitney R985 at $125,000, or the R1340 at $133,000. Price in cludes a larger hopper (now 400 US gal). Turbine variants are priced between $230,000 (P&W PT6A-11) and $285,000 (PT6A-34). Schweizer is also considering a Thunder-engined B. Ag Cat is still the most pop ular ag aeroplane in the USA Some 2,000hr service has been per formed with three Twin Cats FLIGHT International, 1 January 1983
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