Aero Commander Snow S2D-600

[Dinga]

This aircraft was indeed ZK-CPL.Taken at the same time as the shots in my previous post, but stuck in another photo album.The date would probably have been earlier than 1976 and Ray may be right with his memory of it being 1974.Next time I take a photo I should at least put a date on the back eh!

Thanks to everyone for info regarding the Identity and history of this Aircraft.

Thanks to Flyer NZ for putting up this great thread.

[Peter Lewis]

I hadn't intended to cover the Rockwell S2R Thrush Commanders here, as being largely South Island based frankly I don't know a lot about them.

However, I've had my arm twisted, and also Vuescan have just bought out an update (v 8.6.22) which addresses the long-term problems I have had with my 35mm/slide scanner which is a Minolta Dimage Dual III. From the installation of this scanner, I have had to close down Vuescan, turn off the scanner restart the scanner and the restart Vuescan for each individual scan through that machine. A real, time consuming, pain in the proverbial.
Now, with the update, I can just keep going. It cuts the photo processing time down from around 30 minutes to 20 minutes for each image, so I have run my S2R photos through just to enjoy the experience.

Anyway, back to business . . .

A rapid flick through these, apologies for the brevity:

ZK-DQA - Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander c/n 1799
ex N5699X North American Rockwell Inc.
4Jan74 Aerial Sowing Ltd., Amberley F/f 20Feb74
14 Aug78 Rowley Aviation Ltd., Amberley
S.Abd Australia as VH-LGG, Left NZ 27Jul83 reg canc 9Aug83
to AG Airwork (Vic) Pty.Ltd., Stawell, V

At Rotokawa 2Sep76, probably on the dothy spraying contract. Yellow with white top and black trim



ZK-DQB - Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander c/n 1817
ex N5617X North American Rockwell Inc.
4Jan74 Aerial Sowing Ltd., Amberley
14Aug78 Rowley Aviation Ltd., Amberley
S.Abd Australia as VH-SSN, Left NZ 11Jun82, reg canc 15Jun82
to Agricultural Aviation Pty.Ltd., Archerfield, Q.
Cr Cecil Plains 31Jan92

At Rangiora 1Jun74, Dave Paull photo



at Amberley 18Mar78, colours as DQA



ZK-DQC - Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander c/n 1810R
17Jul74 Aerial Sowing Ltd., Amberley (who were by now the NZ agents)
16Aug74 Central Aviation Co.Ltd., Dunedin
S.Abd Australia as VH-DQW, Left NZ 8Feb85. Reg canc 13Feb85
to Dudley Holdings Pty.Ltd., Edgecliff, NSW
Later VH-SSN

At Taieri 12Nov74, Dave Paull photo



also at Taieri, obviously after a repaint, 9Apr84, Dave Paull photo



ZK-DQD - Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander c/n 1811R
ex N17532 North American Rockwell Inc.
19Mar74 Aerial Sowing Ltd., Amberley F/f 9Apr74
17May74 Central Aviation Co.Ltd., Dunedin
S.Abd Australia as VH-DQN, Left NZ 30Dec84. Reg canc 4Jan85
to Clyde Agricultural Pty.Ltd., Edgecliffe, NSW
then Mungindi Airspray, NSW
Cr nr Boomi, NSW, 5Sep90. Cockpit section to Gwydir Air as simulator.

At Alexandra 15Apr74, Dave Paull photo



at Roxburgh 9Sep78, Dave Paull photo





ZK-DQH - Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander c/n 1833R
30Apr74 Aerial Sowing (Canterbury) Ltd., Amberley
13Jun74 Aerial Work (Marlborough) Ltd., Blenheim
2Jun78 name change: Aerial Work Ltd., Blenheim
S.Abd Australia as VH-DQA, left NZ 4Sep79. Reg canc 26Sep79
to Ag Airwork Pty.Ltd., Stawell, Vic.
WFU & stored at Griffin, NSW; Reg canc 9Feb99

at Ardmore 2Sep79, on its way to Australia



A reservation was made for Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander c/n 1992R as ZK-DQI but this was not taken up.

ZK-DQI - Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander c/n 1878R
ex VH-DQI 16Aug74 Airfast Commander Pty.Ltd., Mascot
11Nov75 Aerial Sowing Ltd., Newcastle
20Nov75 Greenacres Air Agriculture Pty.Ltd., Inverell
S.Abd NZ as ZK-DQI
20Aug76 Aerial Sowing (Canterbury) Ltd., Amberley
14Aug78 Rowley Aviation Ltd., Amberley
S.Abd Australia as VH-LGV, Left NZ 23Jul85.. Reg canc 25Jul85
to AG Airwork Pty.Ltd., Stawell, V

At Rangiora 1Jan78, Dave Paull photo



at Te Kowhai (of all places!) Jan80



ZK-DQJ - Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander c/n 1974R
8Oct75 Aerial Sowing Ltd., Amberley
14Aug78 Rowley Aviation Ltd., Amberley
S.Abd Australia as VH-DQI, Left NZ 20Dec83. Reg canc 11Jan84
to Alpine Aviation Pty.Ltd., Melbourne, V
later Thirtysixth Kirrak Pty.Ltd., Bairnsdale, V
destroyed, reg canc 16Feb00

at Rotorua 23Jul78



ZK-DQK also allocated to a Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander for Aerial Sowing Ltd., Amberley.
1st alloc. S2R c/n 1992R (became PT-KLL), 2nd alloc S2R c/n 1905R (became VH-TXZ). Neither came to NZ.

Also ZK-UDC a Ayres S2R-G10 Thrush for Central Airspread (1991) Ltd., Alexandra Apr95 - Dec95, S.Abd Australia as VH-UDG
and ZK-WBQ a Ayres S2R-T34 Turbo Thrush for Kairanga Aviation Ltd., Palmerston North Dec94 - May01, S.Abd Australia.

Add what you will to this.

[The Red Baron]

Aerial Sowing/Rowleys had a Thrush based at Rotorua for a number of years.They were only licensed for spraying and couldnt do any topdressing,so there fortunes waxed and waned on the awarding of various spraying contracts on offer around at the time.

[Dave.K]

A bit of history as to how DQD was painted in Central colours. The guys were parked on a strip waiting to see what the wind would do, the thrush has drum brakes which came off a bit as they cooled down and the aircraft started rolling backwards across the strip. Dave Reid the pilot tried to get into the cockpit and stop it, but reliased it was getting to fast and jumped off again, but got run over by the wheel as the plane carred off the side of the strip and into the gully. Dave ended up in hospital for a while. When they rebuilt it, it got painted in the Central colour scheme, including a wee angry man on the side called thundergutz. When I get my laptop to talk to the printer I will scan a photo of him. The thrush was no match for the wind like the fletcher, Dave would be at base mucking around while we stole his work with the fletcher.I remember they were reasonably quiet in the cockpit.

[studentpilot]

Aug 24, 2010 22:00:01 GMT 12 Peter Lewis said:

ZK-DQI - Rockwell S2R Thrush Commander c/n 1878R
ex VH-DQI 16Aug74 Airfast Commander Pty.Ltd., Mascot
11Nov75 Aerial Sowing Ltd., Newcastle
20Nov75 Greenacres Air Agriculture Pty.Ltd., Inverell
S.Abd NZ as ZK-DQI
20Aug76 Aerial Sowing (Canterbury) Ltd., Amberley
14Aug78 Rowley Aviation Ltd., Amberley
S.Abd Australia as VH-LGV, Left NZ 23Jul85.. Reg canc 25Jul85
to AG Airwork Pty.Ltd., Stawell, V

at Te Kowhai (of all places!) Jan80

This is LGV today, LGG is having the same treatment a the moment.

[Peter Lewis]

Nice to see that ZK-DQI/VH-LGV is still going well.


Dave Paull has sent me photos of ZK-DQB, DQC, DQD and DQI.
I have added these to the listings above.
Much appreciated.

[Deane B]

Thanks to all the contributors to this thread. Up to now I'd only ever seen B&W photos of these aircraft in NZ (except I think for one in "the topdressers"). Seeing them in colour is great.

[avagwhiz]

I have slides of DQI and DQJ both picketed at Omaka where they were"stored" outside for some time prior to being sold overseas.Am guessing taken around June 83?Also have all the others and several colour pics of WBQ at Kairanga.We might as well move on to JHL and SNO
next and didnt WAW have one that did some of the moth spraying up in Auckland?

[Peter Lewis]

Dig out the slides, drop me message here, and I will scan them for you.

The WAW moth sprayer was Air Tractor AT-602 ZK-LTM

[amec]

SNO was the first Air Tractor into the country, it being an AT-502B. it was imported Oct 95 for trials and demonstrations by Fieldair. It was exported May 98 back to Australia.
I note JHL is a Rockwell 114 and this bears no connection to the Snow designed and built aircraft.
According to my copy of Leland Snows book "Putting Dreams to Flight" Rockwell Standard Bought the Snow Aeronautical Company in late 1965. This new company was known as the Olney Division of Aero Commander. Aero Commander than moved plant and production of the Thrush S-2R to Albany Georgia in Early 1970.
Leland Snow then concentrated on his new design the Air Tractor which first flew September 27, 1973

[fadge]

I remember watching Russell Blair working off the Te Waro strip in a Snow in 1966 (the strip is on the corner of Mangamingi Road and Te Kopia Road).
I have since seen this strip as an adult and a 17 years experienced ag pilot.
No way I would like to have worked it with an aeroplane with no flaps!
It was a shame to see the Snow leave NZ skies.....

[jimbenbow]

I remember this aircraft (ZK-CPL) really well, my father was the manager of Bell Hill Farm Settlement (the old Lands and Survey) near lake Brunner and this aircraft spread many thousands of tons of both super-phospate and lime during the 70's both off the Bell Hill and the Blairs airstrips. It was owned by Peter Rowley, Aerial Sowing in those days and flown by probably Kevin Anderson and possibly Barry Cowley. I am not sure if it is also one of the aircraft I saw in 1983 parked along side of the road near Beersheba in Israel, where they were being used for spraying cotton.

[fadge]

Any more S2 - D/R pics, folks?

[Deleted]

Further to fadge's request, anyone have any Wanganui Aero Work ZK-CPV photos?

[avagwhiz]

I have the whole lot! Posted many on another site several years ago.
Will dig them out and post on the Kiwi Beavers,Daks and other topdressors site which we have just listed once I get over lambing and the flu.