PAC Fletcher

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PAC Fletcher is an Agricultural aircraft, made in New Zealand was, together with the Auster Agricola, the first designed for aerial topdressing. The Fletcher has also been used for other Aerial applications, as a utility aircraft, and for sky diving.

1 History
2 Specifications (FU-24)
3 External links

[edit] History

The Fletcher was loosely based on the FD-25 Defender. The Defender was designed by John W. Thorp, and originally conceived in the 1940s as a STOL light attack aircraft for use against the Japanese, (The prototype Defender, built by Fletcher Aviation in California, did not fly until 1953 - after the Korean war and ironically ended up being built in very small numbers in Japan.

At the time New Zealand top dressing operators were in the U.S. seeking a replacement for war surplus De Havilland Tiger Moths which formed the back bone of the industry. Thorp and Wendell Fletcher proposed the FU-24 agricultural aircraft, which incorporated many elements of the Defender. The operators gathered a hundred orders off the drawing board, founded a company, Air Parts, to assemble the type, and Cable Price Corporation funded two prototypes with the New Zealand Meat Producers Board acting as financial guarantor. The first prototype flew on 14 June 1954 in the United States, then broken down and sent to New Zealand, together with the (unflown) second prototype. The original prototype had a 225 hp engine and open cockpit. Subsequent aircraft had enclosed cockpits and 260 to 310 hp Continental engines.

The next 70 aircraft were delivered to New Zealand in kit form and assembled at Hamilton airport. From 1961 full production was undertaken locally, by Air Parts, later by AESL and currently Pacific Aerospace. From the 90th aircraft this was as the Mark II, with detail improvements and the option of dual controls.

After the 257th aircraft the power plant was changed to a 400 hp Lycoming flat 8 piston engine (over a hundred earlier aircraft were re built and re engined by the factory). Some Fletchers have also flown with V8 truck engines. In 1967 a PT6 turbo prop version was built by the factory, a 530 hp Garrett TPE 331 powered version followed in 1968 and a 665 hp Garret powered version in 1971. Several others were converted after market with these or Walter turbines, (including the first prototype, which still flies, with a 500 hp PT6). However Pacific Aerospace decided the Fletcher was reaching the limits and designed the larger and stronger PAC Cresco, which has a very similar appearance and shares some components. For several years production of the two continued side by side.

The Fletcher is a conventional low wing monoplane with tricycle undercarriage, side by side seating in front of the wing and hopper and pronounced dihedral on the outer wing panels. A door after the training edge of the wing on the port side allows access to a cargo compartment. It is constructed entirely of aluminium, heavily treated to prevent corrosion.

Although Fletcher was originally the name of the manufacturer in the U.S., and the aircraft was called the FU-24, over time the type has become simply known as the Fletcher. Fletchers have been sold to most parts of the world, although they are rare in Europe and the U.S. Large government orders came from many developing countries, including Thailand, Syria, Iraq and Sudan.

[edit] Specifications (FU-24)

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[edit] General characteristics

Crew: Usually 1, though the cockpit can seat two. The FU-24A has dual controls. With the hopper removed the aircraft can seat 5-6 passengers in a utility configuration.
Length: 31 ft 10 in (9.70 m)
Wingspan: 42 ft (12.81 m)
Height: 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m)
Wing area: 294 sq ft (27.3m2.)
Empty: 2620 lb (1188 kg)
Loaded: 5430 lb (2465 kg)
Powerplant: Standard production 1 x Continental 260 hp (IO-470-D) - 310 hp, or Lycoming 400 hp air-cooled horizontally opposed piston engine.

[edit] Performance

(with 400 hp Lycoming)

Maximum speed: Max speed 233 km/h cruising speed 209 km/h
Range: 700 km.
Service ceiling: 16,000 ft.
Rate of climb: 805 ft/min

(with 260 hp Continental)

Maximum speed: 143 mph (230 km/h) cruising speed (75% power) 127 mph (204 km/h)
Range: 371 miles (597 km)
Service Ceiling: 17,000 ft (5182 m)
Rate of Climb: 900 ft/min (274 m/min)