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Post by alias on Mar 1, 2011 16:33:46 GMT 12
I read in an Aeroplane monthly ( Feb 2002 ) of Drover VH-PAB being converted by Hazair in 1967 at Orange NSW into a topdresser.
Any pictures or anecdotes out there as to its success or otherwise?
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Post by mstokes on Mar 1, 2011 18:49:24 GMT 12
Hi mate, I can confirm this was true however only briefly operated. In the mid sixties there were a lot of seeding and forestry contracts going round and the Drover was converted to spread these (fertiliser application was probably also on the cards). Other type converted included Dragonflies (which performed a lot of seed sowing) and Aerial Agriculture of Bankstown bought a Bristol Freighter to also convert. There are some good stories and pictures in Derick Rowland's 'Aerial Agriculture in Australia', a book available from www.aerialag.com.au/site/default.asp. We have a copy, however it is in NZ so I can't access it just now. Can at the end of the month though... |
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Post by ZacYates on Mar 1, 2011 20:06:02 GMT 12
It's ok Mike, just let me know the address and I will ensure its safety ;-)
Interesting to hear of an Ag drover, like all DH aircraft it has fascinated me in the past and this is one role I did not envisage.
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Post by The Red Baron on Mar 1, 2011 20:55:25 GMT 12
The Drover had a slot in the side they tipped sacks of seeds out rather than a conventional hopper from the pics I've seen.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Mar 2, 2011 10:10:16 GMT 12
The Auckland Parachute Club used to have a DHA 3 Drover back in the 1970s. It visited Bridge Pa Aerodrome at Hastings one weekend and I got to do one jump out of it. I can recall it didn't do many loads during the weekend because of constant engine problems that kept recurring.
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Post by oj on Mar 2, 2011 20:31:26 GMT 12
James Aviation had a Drover for a while in the 1980's. I don't remember the rego.
It had a Lycoming conversion. Three Avco-Lycoming 150 HP 0-320's.
It mainly sat in the hangar. I don't remember why it was purchased. Probably a trade-in on a Beechcraft (JAL was NZ Beech Distributor for many years).
It mainly just sat in the hangar in Hamilton with the occasional engine run. It was eventually leased-out or sold to Mercury Bay Aero Club I think (not too certain) and was used for a while to fly fresh crayfish to Auckland markets.
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Post by Naki on Mar 2, 2011 20:49:47 GMT 12
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lurker
Pilot Officer
Posts: 48
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Post by lurker on Mar 5, 2011 13:25:53 GMT 12
I can recall seeing a Drover bought in for sky diving at Bridge Pa - not sure when but would've been between 77 and 81. Seem to think it was branded Mercury Bay?
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Post by dakman on Mar 5, 2011 15:01:53 GMT 12
I am sure we had only one Drover in NZ
As Naki states DDD and it was not a
Lycoming version used to see it at
Wellington sometimes .
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Post by dakman on Mar 5, 2011 15:43:24 GMT 12
OOps All round sorry just had another look at my
pics of DDD at Wellington and it was certainly
Lycoming powered reckon glasses are on the
way soon
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Post by fu24lover on Mar 5, 2011 16:34:36 GMT 12
I remember DDD well from the times I helped out at Mercury Airlines over the christmas holidays in 74 and 75.
It was flown by club instructor Dave Wyborne,and some other members had a rating on it.
It was used on a schedule passenger run to Auckland and Ardmore twice a day.
If there were no passengers to Ak in the morning and I had nothing going with the 172 or Aircruiser,I'd go for the ride.
Remember one trip into Ak....Dave flying and me sitting on the battery box beside him...There was a strong southwester and the tower allowed him to "land at your discression"
We landed on the high speed turnoff with an approach past the Air NZ hangar.... I can still remember people running out the door to see what was happening.
Dave also told me many more amusing stories about trips into AK with DDD.
Auckland and Ardmore used the call signs "triple delta" or "all the delta's"
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Post by The Red Baron on Mar 5, 2011 19:32:29 GMT 12
Ah there is a photo of VH-PAB on the interweb. Shows it had a shute built into the door to tip stuff,like seeds or dingo baits etc,out the door.It didnt appear to have ever been fitted with a hopper for fert.  Photo on Ed Coates excellent photo record of civil aircraft. www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austmz/VH-PAB.html |
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Post by dakman on Mar 5, 2011 20:32:31 GMT 12
Thanks for the pics of the Drover in ag use guess a person pouring
bags of seed etc out the slot is a simple means of spreading
and the aircraftremains mostly unchanged when the contracts done
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Mar 5, 2011 20:50:43 GMT 12
I can recall seeing a Drover bought in for sky diving at Bridge Pa - not sure when but would've been between 77 and 81. Seem to think it was branded Mercury Bay? It would have been in 1975, or possibly early-1976. I joined NZ Railways in May 1976 and headed off down to Palmerston North to live (and to go through the locomtive training school) and I drifted away from the skydiving scene after that. It was branded Mercury Bay Aero Club, however one of the jump pilots from the Auckland Parachute Club was flying it, but I cannot remember who after all these years. |
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Post by John L on Mar 7, 2011 20:12:56 GMT 12
Apropo of nothing much, here is an interior shot of DDD at Dairy Flat, late '70's  |
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Post by alias on Mar 8, 2011 20:03:06 GMT 12
Cor, minimalist!
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