Rare and unusual Ag Aircraft

[Powerin]

Our paddocks are too wet (at last) to get a tractor on to, and it was time to feed our crops a bit of extra fertilizer. So we called upon the services of our local Aerial Applicator company, Hazair of Albury. Hazair is operated by the Death family and you may have seen Stephen Death flying in the Southern Knights aerobatic team or flying various aircraft at the Temora Aviation Museum.

 

As far as I know Hazair are the only company in Oz that still operates the unusual, but cool, Transavia Airtruk. It is (or rather was) an Aussie manufactured aircraft which is difficult to describe so here's a few photos. This particular one has a 400hp, 8 cylinder, IO720 engine...magic sound! The pilot claims it is the nicest aircraft to fly of any he has flown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rgmwa]

Looks like a collection of spare parts from Burt Rutan's reject bin.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[.Evan.]

What an interesting design!

 

How does the pilot access the cockpit? I can't quite see a door, nor steps notched in the fuselage...

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

The Transavia Airtruck, i used to watch these being flown out of the small strip at the factory in Seven Hills in Sydney. This was a very successful Australian design. Had it's peak during the seventies and eighties. Many were exported. It also made an appearance in the film mad max due to it's different appearance.

 

Funny story. I was at a skydive boogie at Corowa years ago and one landed. twhile the pilot was doing some business a group of jumpers were looking at it. Some bangining was coming from the lower compartment. Someone opened the door and three sheep jumped out. Pilot was peeved and it looked hilarious as a group of jumpers chased three sheep all over the airport. Climb up the steps behind the wing door is on the right side. look close. I think the manufacturers just wound down as the butt fell out of the AG industry.

 

Ozzie

 

 

[Tomo]

Friend of mine helped design and build the first prototype PL11 Airtruck back in it's day. Had the radial engine in it. They were superseded by the PL12 as Harvard parts were getting rare I think. Very interesting aircraft indeed.

 

Thanks for the photos Pete

 

 

[Powerin]

That's cute Peter. Hey the Canola is looking pretty healthy isn't it.

Yeah Dex....the Canola's looking great. Thought we'd give a boost with some urea.

 

How does the pilot access the cockpit? I can't quite see a door, nor steps notched in the fuselage...

Evan if you look at the side on photo you can see the door on the right hand side of the cockpit. You climb up on steps behind the wing. If you look below the windows at the back, you can see a step cut into the fuselage midway between the main and stub wing. The windows are for a passenger cabin at the back behind the fertilizer hopper. That's where the sheep in Ozzie's story above were.

 

 

[.Evan.]

Evan if you look at the side on photo you can see the door on the right hand side of the cockpit. You climb up on steps behind the wing. If you look below the windows at the back, you can see a step cut into the fuselage midway between the main and stub wing. The windows are for a passenger cabin at the back behind the fertilizer hopper. That's where the sheep in Ozzie's story above were.

Aaah... See it now. Thanks!

 

 

[fly_tornado]

looks like it would be a hoot to fly low with that high cockpit over the engine

 

 

[Planechaser]

I am in love!

 

What a little ripper.

 

It's great when designers think outside the box and then manage to pull it off.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

That's so ugly it's adorable. Certainly 'outside the box' design. My kind of design. Love it.

 

 

[Bandit12]

It does look like someone clipped a pole with the tail and lost the centre section!

 

I do like the "it's so ugy it's loveable" look though.

 

 

[Powerin]

Hadn't really researched the Airtruk before. Looking around the net, here's an interesting old video about the PL-12, and there's even a facebook fan page.

 

 

[Guest rocketdriver]

Our paddocks are too wet (at last) to get a tractor on to, and it was time to feed our crops a bit of extra fertilizer. So we called upon the services of our local Aerial Applicator company, Hazair of Albury. Hazair is operated by the Death family and you may have seen Stephen Death flying in the Southern Knights aerobatic team or flying various aircraft at the Temora Aviation Museum.As far as I know Hazair are the only company that still operates the unusual, but cool, Transavia Airtruk. It is (or rather was) an Aussie manufactured aircraft which is difficult to describe so here's a few photos. This particular one has a 400hp, 8 cylinder, IO720 engine...magic sound! The pilot claims it is the nicest aircraft to fly of any he has flown.

I believe the airtruck was designed by Edgar Percival (his last design?) of Percival aircraft fame .......

and as an aside, Steve Death checked me out in the Harvard many years ago ... happy days!

 

cheers

 

RD

 

 

[Aussie Steve]

Thx Powerin, I,ve allways loved these things. There one sitting at Bathurst Airport the same colour as this one, I think its being kept as spares for another there.

 

Great video too. Thx again.

 

 

[kgwilson]

I've seen a few of these in NZ. Most were in pretty rough nick but that's almost the norm for an Ag wagon. I reckon they look more like a tropical fish than an aeroplane. Certainly must be a weird sensation going for a ride strapped into the backwards facing dicky seat.

 

 

[naremman]

Good to see one airworthy example still flying and working. Not a bad problem to have when you have paddocks too wet and you have to call in the Aggies Powerin. It has finally got around to raining over here in the West this year and last week had an Agwagon flying off my all weather strip spreading urea for a neighbour.

 

I recall flying into Northam in the 80's and an Airtruck and an Army GAF Nomad were parked together. Parking my Victa Airtourer alongside them presented the trifecta of Australian designed and built aircraft from the 60's and 70's. Aesthetics were hardly the strong point of all three designs, and all three aircraft had the capacity to have some pilots to swear by them, and then the others to swear at them!! For such an aviation friendly country what a pity it is that Australia is so notable for not developing a vibrant aviaition industry.

 

On the topic of unusual Ag aircraft, when I was learning to fly in the early 70's I shared the airspace around Bruce Rock with:

 

 

What a sacrilege to a perfectly good Chippie. The addittion of pump and spray booms did nothing to enhance things, and the margin of safety was probably scant.

 

It was flown by an ex RAAF pilot John Turner who had to make the transition from Sabres to dodging trees and slipping under power lines in the old Chippie. It was a bit of a love/hate relationship between aircraft and pilot, and after a few years John outlasted the old girl and graduated to a Pawnee. In the 70's the only chemical that was sprayed out in volume was 24-D Ester, which went out at the rate of 4 ounces an acre. The hopper of the Chippie was not large, but a little bit of Ester went a long way. Luckily it was before the advent of Lupins and Canola, which will curl up and die at the slightest waft of Ester. In the days before GPS marking, there was a human marker at either end of the paddock with a flag, who just before the aircraft passed by paced out the swath width, waited for the pilot to survive the proceedure turn, raised his flag, and at the last second hopefully repositioned himself before the aircraft and sprayed chemical caught him. OSH? Whats that!!

 

I notice that BCA is still on the register, so it is good to think that it survived the harsh environs of aerial agriculture.

 

I am sure Poteroo will make a significant contribution to this post, and I look forward to his pearls of wisdom with keen anticipation.

 

 

[naremman]

Good to see one airworthy example still flying and working. Not a bad problem to have when you have paddocks too wet and you have to call in the Aggies Powerin. It has finally got around to raining over here in the West this year and last week had an Agwagon flying off my all weather strip spreading urea for a neighbour.

 

I recall flying into Northam in the 80's and an Airtruck and an Army GAF Nomad were parked together. Parking my Victa Airtourer alongside them presented the trifecta of Australian designed and built aircraft from the 60's and 70's. Aesthetics were hardly the strong point of all three designs, and all three aircraft had the capacity to have some pilots to swear by them, and then the others to swear at them!! For such an aviation friendly country what a pity it is that Australia is so notable for not developing a vibrant aviaition industry.

 

On the topic of unusual Ag aircraft, when I was learning to fly in the early 70's I shared the airspace around Bruce Rock with:

 

[ATTACH=full]14757[/ATTACH]

 

What a sacrilege to a perfectly good Chippie. The addittion of pump and spray booms did nothing to enhance things, and the margin of safety was probably scant.

 

It was flown by an ex RAAF pilot John Turner who had to make the transition from Sabres to dodging trees and slipping under power lines in the old Chippie. It was a bit of a love/hate relationship between aircraft and pilot, and after a few years John outlasted the old girl and graduated to a Pawnee. In the 70's the only chemical that was sprayed out in volume was 24-D Ester, which went out at the rate of 4 ounces an acre. The hopper of the Chippie was not large, but a little bit of Ester went a long way. Luckily it was before the advent of Lupins and Canola, which will curl up and die at the slightest waft of Ester. In the days before GPS marking, there was a human marker at either end of the paddock with a flag, who just before the aircraft passed by paced out the swath width, waited for the pilot to survive the proceedure turn, raised his flag, and at the last second hopefully repositioned himself before the aircraft and sprayed chemical caught him. OSH? Whats that!!

 

I notice that BCA is still on the register, so it is good to think that it survived the harsh environs of aerial agriculture.

 

I am sure Poteroo will make a significant contribution to this post, and I look forward to his pearls of wisdom with keen anticipation.

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

Transfield (Transavia) also built a Sopwith Camel replica about the same time...wonder what happened to that?

 

 

[kaz3g]

I went for a ride in the back of one of these many years ago in the 80's when it came into Warnervale. It had a seat fitted with belts in the hopper area. It was hilarious to be sitting in the back looking back as the thing roared down the runway ... impressive performance.David

I also had a ride in the hopper of a Transavia AirTruk. The pilot was a local who flew out of his own strip in the Victorian Highlands and I went with him to drive the Pelican. All I can remember is transluscent fibreglass vibrating like crazy, a cloud of super making me sneeze, and lots of noise!

 

From the AT he went to a Beaver which he flew like you wouldn't believe. I know he had around 20,000 hours in his log book. Last time I saw him, quite some years ago, he had an AgWagon but I guess he is probably retired by now.

 

kaz

 

 

[johnm]

Taking nothing away from this unique plane - In NZ there was a recorded accident where a loaded Airtruck commenced take off - while moving slow .................... the nose wheel then broke away ............... the plane rolled over its nose .................... esentially the plane was upside down ............ the pilot survived this stage of the accident ........... but, the pilot's head (and I recall helmet) was pinned between the load and forward dash / windscreen ....................... and unfortunately despite efforts of rescuers ............. the pilot died

 

All planes bite - this scenario woul be hard to predict ?

 

JM