Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 24, 2008 22:08:06 GMT 12
The other day I got an interesting email from the well known researcher/writer Ray Deerness, and he has given permission to post this info here for others to read as it's quite interesting and clears up some points made on other threads:
Hello Dave,
I know I should join your "Wings over Cambridge" but it's time!
I have noted that my name has been mentioned in your pages regarding the Bennett Airtruck. I have gathered quite a bit of information about the building of the aircraft from many sources...........I was able to talk to most who built it! The story got a bit big for NZ Wings and I found that it has to have a preceeding story on Pellarini because I found out that he designed more than three agricultural aircraft. What really surprised me was that Bennett started to build a smaller aircraft, before the PL11 was started. It's odd that it was never mentioned in the Avaition Historical Society Journals or by the research done by Janic Geelen for his book "The Topdressers". However tha story is "Work in Progress"
My main reason for writing is about how the Fletcher FU24 came about. I know it's folk law that the FU-24 came out of the FD25. They would have in much as common as a Cessna 150 and a Cessna 310. The FU24 came out of John Thorp's notebook and problably is more related to the Thorp T11 and the "First" Piper PA28.
If you could refer the August 2004 Pacific Wings, "The Fletcher is Fifty"
Some time in 2003, I was talking to Mike Keen on the FU-24 and we couldn't solve a problem. I said if "Gerry Barden was alive we could get the answer" Mike said he was and that night I phoned Ossie James for a contact address.
Gerry Barden did most of the design work on the FU24 and came to New Zealand to oversee the assembly of the aircraft at James Avaition.
What followed was several letters, e-mails and telephone conversations. Gerry approved the article before it was published, so I know I got it right.
One other thing that I was able to solve was the fact that Fletcher didn't go back to the USA in October 1953 with the idea of what was required. Fletcher already knew the facts. The proposed plans were drawn up in September 1953 by Gerry Barden and Fletcher brought them to New Zealand as a Sales Brochure. What was changed was when he went back with an order for 100 aircraft, they did a redesign and made the fuselage wider (so they could seat six in a Uitlity version).
It was great talking to Gerry as he was able to give me quite a bit of background on what was happening at the Plant and also background on what they did.
However, see if you can find the article.
Keep up the good work...............it's good to catch up once a week.
Regards,
Ray Deerness
I have not yet found a copy of that Wings article, I wasn't buying the magazine at that time and am again now.
Hello Dave,
I know I should join your "Wings over Cambridge" but it's time!
I have noted that my name has been mentioned in your pages regarding the Bennett Airtruck. I have gathered quite a bit of information about the building of the aircraft from many sources...........I was able to talk to most who built it! The story got a bit big for NZ Wings and I found that it has to have a preceeding story on Pellarini because I found out that he designed more than three agricultural aircraft. What really surprised me was that Bennett started to build a smaller aircraft, before the PL11 was started. It's odd that it was never mentioned in the Avaition Historical Society Journals or by the research done by Janic Geelen for his book "The Topdressers". However tha story is "Work in Progress"
My main reason for writing is about how the Fletcher FU24 came about. I know it's folk law that the FU-24 came out of the FD25. They would have in much as common as a Cessna 150 and a Cessna 310. The FU24 came out of John Thorp's notebook and problably is more related to the Thorp T11 and the "First" Piper PA28.
If you could refer the August 2004 Pacific Wings, "The Fletcher is Fifty"
Some time in 2003, I was talking to Mike Keen on the FU-24 and we couldn't solve a problem. I said if "Gerry Barden was alive we could get the answer" Mike said he was and that night I phoned Ossie James for a contact address.
Gerry Barden did most of the design work on the FU24 and came to New Zealand to oversee the assembly of the aircraft at James Avaition.
What followed was several letters, e-mails and telephone conversations. Gerry approved the article before it was published, so I know I got it right.
One other thing that I was able to solve was the fact that Fletcher didn't go back to the USA in October 1953 with the idea of what was required. Fletcher already knew the facts. The proposed plans were drawn up in September 1953 by Gerry Barden and Fletcher brought them to New Zealand as a Sales Brochure. What was changed was when he went back with an order for 100 aircraft, they did a redesign and made the fuselage wider (so they could seat six in a Uitlity version).
It was great talking to Gerry as he was able to give me quite a bit of background on what was happening at the Plant and also background on what they did.
However, see if you can find the article.
Keep up the good work...............it's good to catch up once a week.
Regards,
Ray Deerness
I have not yet found a copy of that Wings article, I wasn't buying the magazine at that time and am again now.
