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Post by delticman on Feb 1, 2021 22:00:23 GMT 12
In 1980 there was an American guy that was a salesman for Aerospace and he was full of bright ideas. He mostly sold Grummans. They had Frontier Aerospace at Long Beach trying to sell stuff but it didn't come to much. At that time John Rika went over and flew one of the American registered FU-24's around California but Frontier never followed it up. One thing about Air Parts and Aerospace, they always had their thinking caps on and they turned out sketches and drawings and over the years I remember seeing a lot of them. The one I liked was a Fletcher with an R-985. The American guy at PAC was Doug Smith,formerly of Piper, Vero Beach. He was much liked, but we reckon he was reporting to the CIA as to our true capabilities to produce COIN aircraft for use against drug cartels in central America. Didn't he call is first son, Fletcher? |
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Fletcher
Feb 4, 2021 9:49:30 GMT 12
via mobile
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2021 9:49:30 GMT 12
A kind soul in the Fletcher & Cresco Facebook group linked to the company doing the development work on the Unmanned Fletcher ZK-EUA: skybase.aero/news?fbclid=IwAR1o4i0lYSBd3ZOzTJ61NgEa-b_Zd3c4CFjAmRFI6Vhy9YzyeToy3ew2VT4One thing about Air Parts and Aerospace, they always had their thinking caps on and they turned out sketches and drawings and over the years I remember seeing a lot of them. The one I liked was a Fletcher with an R-985. I want to see that. It’s almost like the reverse of the Beaver story! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2021 22:26:26 GMT 12
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Post by woody99 on Sept 13, 2021 15:07:44 GMT 12
Very recent vid
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 17, 2021 19:20:05 GMT 12
There is some footage of a Fletcher, ZK-CTC, operating in this film in Mount Cook Airlines livery. I never knew they operated ag aircraft before.
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Post by Dave.K on Sept 17, 2021 20:56:44 GMT 12
Hi Dave, it was CTO. Mt Cook airlines operated CTO and BHK out of Farlie for a number of years. They then bought Central Aviation and ran about 10 or 12 aircraft including using 185 for dropping carrots in the off-season from tourists.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 17, 2021 22:06:21 GMT 12
Ah OK. Cheers.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 17, 2021 22:49:55 GMT 12
Mt Cook & Southern Lakes Tourist Company of Timaru operated in the ag aviation field from 1954.
The aerial work licence for this was then transferred to Mt Cook Air Services in mid-1956.
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Post by planecrazy on Jan 12, 2022 19:15:07 GMT 12
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Post by delticman on Jan 12, 2022 19:41:08 GMT 12
It's ZK-MUT at Maungatoroto now. Not really all that old, an FU-24-954 serial number 267 ex ZK-EMP. |
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Post by Antonio on Jan 12, 2022 21:57:45 GMT 12
Just found this thread. Once again from my Treasured Tome:  Fu24-1 by
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2022 11:03:36 GMT 12
I can't quite make out the rego - delticman, which airframe is this? |
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Post by Antonio on Jan 13, 2022 11:35:41 GMT 12
N65060 ?
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Post by The Red Baron on Jan 13, 2022 11:53:09 GMT 12
N6507C....ZK-CQB.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2022 9:18:57 GMT 12
That's what I figured, thanks TRB. |
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Post by planecrazy on Jan 24, 2022 14:08:12 GMT 12
 Finally got around to coping the below black & white images of ZK-BIP when she visited Lord Howe Island in 1968. The Island did not get a runway until late 1974, air transport provided by Ansett Flying Boat Services Sandringhams. Fletcher ZK-BIP was on a trans Tasman ferry flight from New Zealand to Australia using Norfolk Island for refueling. After leaving Norfolk and passing Lord Howe she ran into an unpredicted head wind. The Pilot Brad Stubbs calculated he did not have enough fuel to make mainland Australia nor enough fuel to return to Norfolk. Lord Howe Island being the only option the problem with this, no runway. Two solutions, ditch in the calm waters of the lagoon or find a runway? ZK-BIP doing a missed approach over the lagoon.  Landing on the grass parallel to the lagoon, you can just see juvinile Norfolk Pines under the starboard wing, which are somewhat larger in the below pic.  Recent similar angle to the above image, aviation coms ariels up on the hill.  Local kids out of school looking at the funny aeroplane with wheels, all these kids grew up with flying boats. The little girl to the left with her hand on her chin is now my wife Janine.  After a couple of days on the island, the sports oval fence was removed to allow for an airstrip across the oval towards the lagoon in a westerly direction.  Looking pretty much in the same direction as the above pic.  The direction she took off towards, she landed left to right.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2022 16:08:32 GMT 12
Amazing photos and history Peter, thank you so much for sharing!
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Post by nuuumannn on Jan 26, 2022 23:12:09 GMT 12
Yes, really enjoyed that wee "Then and Now" post, Planecrazy. How great to find a photo of your wife as a child meeting an aeroplane, for her to marry you with your love of aviation. Great stuff.
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Post by planecrazy on Jan 27, 2022 17:00:59 GMT 12
She's a bit of a plane nut as well.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2022 10:56:24 GMT 12
There's a lot of confusion and misinformation around the origin of the Fletcher FU-24, particularly the myth that it was developed from the FD-25 Defender. In 2004 Ray Deerness wrote a fantastic article about the genesis of our beloved bent-wing bird and rather than copy-and-paste the article here I've put it online via my Google Drive for all to enjoy (link). |
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