Aircraft Makers Interested In N.Z. Topdressing Market

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27402, 15 July 1954, Page 7

Aircraft Makers Interested In N.Z. Topdressing Market

[By Our Aviation Correspondent)

Among light aircraft manufacturers the race to sell topdressing machines to New Zealand companies appears to be on. Ten makers in Britain, Europe, the United States and Canada are building prototypes or have aircraft in operation, and, doubtless, more will appear.

Only toothmarks have so far been made in the large and juicy plum waiting for aerial top dressers and the companies supplying them with aircraft. This year operators estimate they will spread fertiliser over about 2.000,000 acres, but according to reports about 30.000,000 acres in New. Zealand would benefit from top dressing, vastly- increasing primary production in this country. At present about 200 aircraft are in use by topdressing companies throughout New Zealand; all but about a dozen are Tiger Moths. Like the Stearman used by American aerial spraying companies the Tiger Moth has been a fine machine, but for the steadily increasing amount of work becoming available it carries too little and, more important, it is old. Also like the Stearman the Tiger Moth as an agricultural machine is a makeshift. It was designed as a primary training aeroplane and was never intended by its maker to fly round hill tops with a load of superphosphate or lime. The Canadian de Havilland Beaver, six of which are being used in New Zealand, was intended to be a light transport aircraft. The Auster Aiglet was built as a trainer and aerial observation post; and so the list goes on without ever finding the solid, manoeuvrable, easily repaired, and maintained, “aerial tractor” that is needed Two English Designs

Two English manufacturers are in the replacement race. Austers have their 8.8 model which, it is reported is due to arrive in New Zealand some time this year. E. W. Percival, designer of the highly successful Percival Gull, but now busily engaged in forming his own company, is well advanced with construction of the prototype of his machine. Little is known about the Percival at present, but plans and specifications have been promised soon. Other English companies may be interested but prevented from taking an active part by defence contracts. Snecifications for the 8.8 Auster describe it as a single engined, low wing, cabin monoplane, which is expected to sell for less than £5OOO. It is designed to carry three-quarters of a ton of superphosphate in a hopper behind and below the pilot giving him maximum safety in a crash. Further consideration for the pilot is

shown by the overturn structure built around the canopy and the safety harness made to withstand crash loadings of 25g. Provision is also made, when the aircraft is flying to and from topdressing areas, to carry two passengers in a cockpit behind the hopper. Fuselage construction is in steel tubing covered by fabric and the instrument panel is placed low so that the pilot will not hit his head on it in a crash.

Undercarriage on the Auster is of the tailwheel type with low pressure tyres to facilitate operation from soft landing fields. Disc brakes* are used. The 225 horsepower Continental engine gives a normal cruising speed of 111 miles an hour; stalling speed is 51 miles an hour. Take-off run is about 153 yards. General dimensions shov) the machine to have a span of 42ft, an over-all length of 27ft sin and overall height of Bft 4in. The chi£f American contender is the Fletcher FU-24 which, like the Auster, was designed expressly for New Zealand conditions. If an order for 100 of these machines were placed the price for each would be about £6OOO. If such a contract was signed it is considered likely that an assembly line would be set up in New Zealand. Many features built into the Fletcher have been borrowed from those

worked out “in the field” by New Zealand operators, but details of the machine have so far been kept secret by the Cable-Price, the firm which in New Zealand is most interested in the project. Two technicians from the Civil Aviation Administration went to America to observe the construction of the prototype; test flights were to be made this month. Designed payload is said to be about half a ton. U.S. Design Tested Test flights were made recently by the Taylorcraft Topper, another American machine. This high-wing cabin monoplane will sell for £4500. Features include chemical-resisting fibre-glass skin and high' of climb. Payload is about 13001 b and it| has a landing speed of 30 miles ani hour. Externally it is little different: from the several Talyorcraft models used as pleasure aircraft ahd light' transports. | The Agricultural Piper Cub, builtin Pennsylvania, is already in use in| New Zealand and is, apparently, prov-i ing satisfactory. It was designed for spraying and dusting crops with in- 1 secticides and has equipment for this' built in as an integral part of the l airframe. Safety features include sharpened leading edges on the landing gear struts to cut wires, and a' heavy duty pilot harness. Payload is. about 10001 b. cruising speed (with a! 135 horsepower Lycoming engine) is 95 miles an hour and stalling speed/ 15 miles an hour.

The French firm, Aviohs Maxi Holste. is also reported to have an air-; craft to sell to New Zealand aerial j topdressers. This could be an adapta-i tion of their M.H. 1521 Broussard, a high-wing cabin monoplane with a' span of 45ft. This machine is capable! of carrying more than 10001 b at a, cruising speed of 143 miles an hour. The power plant is a 450 horsepower Pratt and Whitney engine. 1 Others reported to be interested in ; the New Zealand market include the Dutch firm of Koolhoven Vliegtuigen, N.V., of Rotterdam well known light aircraft builders before the war, and| an American firm called Collain. i In the four years since 1950 the top-i dressing industry has shown remark-: abl& progress. From seven operators the field has swelled to 46 with others interested. Quantity of fertiliser dropped has risen from 5003 tons in 1950 to 203,110 tons for the year ended March 31, 1954. Acreage covered in 1950 was 48,700; last year it was 1.929,000, and the number of flights made rose from 32,055 to 831,181. With! these figures produced with only; 2.000,000 acres of the estimated; 30,000,000 being treated a huge industry appears to be growing.