TOPDRESSING AIRCRAFT

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31031, 11 April 1966, Page 1

TOPDRESSING AIRCRAFT

This aircraft is a newcomer to agricultural aviation in the South Island. It is an Aerocommander Snow, built in Texas. It arrived in Canterbury last week for Aerial Sowing, Ltd., of Amberley. Two others are flying in the Bay of Plenty.

Mr P. Rowley, managing director of Aerial Sowing, Ltd., said at the week-end that whereas half a ton was the load normally carried by topdressing aircraft in Canterbury today, the Snow would carry a ton of fertiliser or lime, and it could fly from practically all airstrips that the smaller aircraft were working from. Even with twice the existing payload, Mr Rowiey said,

it also had about twice the rate of climb—about 700 to 800 ft a minute when fully loaded. As a great deal of their work involved climbing, it was essential to have an adequate rate of climb, and as charges were based on the amount of work that could be done in an hour, it meant that an aircraft that could climb fast should help an operator to hold rates to the farmer.

Mr Rowley said it was only because the industry had used more and more modern equipment that it had been able to hold costs, and in many cases to reduce them. The farmer in his turn, because of the use of this equipment, would have to continue to improve the surfaces of airstrips and also perhaps lengthen them slightly. It was expected that the Snow would spread up to 15 tons of superphosphate an hour, and this made it more than

ever necessary for installation of adequate storage facilities on airstrips or otherwise rail and road transport would be hard pressed to keep supplies up to them. In the off season for superphosphate, Mr Rowley hopes that with the load capacity of this aircraft it may be possible to make lime sowing more attractive to the farmer.

Mr D. A. Winter, who flew the aircraft to Canterbury on its delivery flight for Adastra Aviation. Ltd., of Tauranga, the New Zealand agents and distributors, said that it had been designed by Snow, who was himself a crop-duster pilot in the United States. Mr Rowley said that it had begun flying in the United States in August, 1958. The Snow is powered by a Pratt and Whitney engine of 600 horsepower. It is the same power unit as is used in the Harvard, but it is not so noisy. Because of the aircraft's

robust construction, Mr Rowley likens the Snow to a flying tractor. The spars have iin steel caps on the top and bottom. The hopper is built into the airframe so that in the event of an accident it will not shift. It is in front of the pilot. The hopper outlet is New Zealand-made and is the largest of any used in New Zealand. The pilot sits in a completely sealed off capsule. A small compartment behind him enables him to carry the loader operator to the farm airstrip if necessary. A wire deflector is situated in front of the pilot's compartment and the aircraft also has wire cutters on the undercarriage legs as further safety aids.

The Snow is described as a mechanic's dream in that the interior of the aircraft is verv easy to get at. It can carry 84 gallons of fuel and at work uses about 30 to 35 gallons an hour.