PL-11 Airtruck

[airtruk]

Gentlemen, must say that I've learnt more today about the PL-11 than every before and the photos and newspaper articles are superb.... Real kiwi history and I must say that it motivates me even more to get ZK-CJU a PL-12 back in the air as soon as possible.

Any other history on both the PL-11 and PL-12 would be greatly appreciated.

Does anyone know what happened to Johnny Johnstone?

[fletcherfu24]

Last year the local paper did a story on John Worthington,he lives in the BOP and the story said he still had the original plans for the PL 11.No doubt a lot of photos also.

John Worthington would be the go to man for the PL-11 info.

[hardyakka]

Co-incidentally, I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday about his experiences with an AirTruck. A couple of meat-bombers (skydivers) convinced him to take them up in the 'Truck for a drop. The two 'divers with their rigs climbed into the rear passenger area. They lumbered off into the sky with the CofG close to the aft limit (because the passenger compartment is well behind the hopper).
He briefed the one-way-pax to bang on the side of the fuselage as they exited to let him know they were "away".
At altitude he reduced power and waited for the banging. However there was no need for the improvised alert system. As soon as the umbrella-clubbers jumped out (and with no weight in the hopper) the CofG immediately slammed to the full-forward limit and with the aircraft previously trimmed full nose down, it tried to perform the first half of a push-over outside loop....
My mate managed to save the day but suffered nasty seat-belt brusing from where the straps stopped him from exiting the aircraft through the canopy.

[Peter Lewis]

That's one of those experiences that sounds hilariously funny the further you are away from it. When I was a lowly static-line student at the Auckland Parachute Club (then based at Ardmore) a couple of the gun jumpers were trying to organize a similar two-man jump from one of the Barr Bros Airtruks. The crew seemed remarkably unkeen, I'm now getting some idea as to why. Can't remember if the exercise ever came off, probably not.
The parachutists in those days were a pretty rough bunch, lots of stories that thankfully never reached the ears of officialdom. I won't even mention being in a Beaver at Hamilton, and the pilot called the tower for a clearance to taxii, 19 POB

[maurice]

this is a wonderful bit of history. I by chance am able to add a few things by chance to this.
I have been involved in aviation since 1973. I started at New Zealand Aerospace industries where my first boss was Kiwi Ball. The comments about Kiwi being a fine engineer are true.
My infant years were spent in the King Country and my family talked of the Air Truck with pride.
Although I don't recall the event, too young, my father told how he was in Te Kuiti shopping when there was a very noise of an aircraft approaching emptied the town into the streets to watch the first flight of the Air Truck.
When I first started in aviation I talked to my family about Kiwi Ball and his time with the Air Truck. My mother brought out a clipping from the NZ Herald which I took and showed Kiwi. 2 of those photos are reproduced in this article, however the missing one had Kiwi in it I further found out that Colin Burrows who was specialising in the control surfaces fort he CT4 Air Trainer also worked on the Air Truck.
Colin told me a bit about the project. Firstly the wing ribs were made of welded steel tube for ease of manufacture rather than making of pressed aluminium. Also there was a problem with the original nose leg arrangement. This was converted to Oleo type to cure the problem.
Later in my career I worked on the PL12 airtruk which I had a soft spot for even though I was working with Fletcher aircraft.
Even later I worked with Bob Goding, rebuilding 2 RNZAF Iroqois, one had crashed on MT Cook the other in Australia.
When you consider what that small team managed to achieve it rates as incredible.

[Dave Homewood]

Welcome to the forum Maurice. I'd love to hear more stories from your days at NZAI when that company was developing the Airtrainer and Fletcher lines. Were you in any way involved with the NZAI attempt to get into airships, which came to nothing in the end?

Do you recall much about the late Pat Monk? He was our nextdoor neighbour and a great family friend.

[airtruk]

Gidday Maurice, welcome to the forum. Would love to hear more about your soft spot for the PL-12 as I'm just about to start rebuilding one and have been trying to make contact with people who have been involved with them in the past. The machine I am rebuilding is ZK-CJU which was owned by Barr Bros until I purchased it a couple of months back.

[Dave Homewood]

This is not a good reproduction as I have digital photographed from a print, but this was taken by Ross macpherson and comes from the once-magnificent and now broken up Wings Collection of photos. I purchased it via Trademe and it arrived today. Any idea where and when?

[Bruce]

I suspect Hamilton circa 1980 /82 . Its wouldnt be any earlier as there is a Rutan Long Ez / vari - EZ to the Left of the picture. I think it may be at the airshow i took my first flight at, as I do remember an Airtruck displaying then (although I was young and my memory my be off, its apretty distinctive aircraft!)
Alternative location possibly Matamata (with cloud obscuring the Kaimais) same era.

[Dave Homewood]

If it is Hamilton in 1980 I was there and also recall an orange and white Airtruk. I don't recall it flying but certainly went up to it on the ground.

[fletcherfu24]

Theres the Airtruck display at Hamilton 1980,there were 2 of them,the airport doesn't look like Hamilton and its not at Matamata.
The rego on the Airtruck/Skyfarmer appears to be TRS and as it appears to have spray booms it would be the SkyFarmers aircraft based around Ashburton,usually photographed spraying spuds around Winchester with Col Bolgar at the controls.
Over to the South Island guys to ID the airfield......

[Dave Homewood]

Looking at the print in detail, yes the registration of the one in my photo was indeed TRS.

[airtruk]

TRS was operated by Skyfarmers and was based in Geraldine for a number of years in the 80's and 90's. The aircraft arrived brand new in 1984 and was flown by Kevin Burnell for the first couple of years then a mix of pilots including John Millar, Ray Parsons, Mark Houston, Ian Stewart and later Max Anderson and Donald Hart. I'm going to take a guess and say that the photo was taken at one of the Air Shows in either Timaru or Ashburton during this period. Keith Turner also operated the aircraft up until around 2000 so the photo could also have been taken in the lower part of the North Island. Where there any others?

[Dave Homewood]

No others of the Airtruk I'm afraid.

[Peter Lewis]

From the November 1966 AHSNZ Journal:

"A new company, Commercial Aircraft (NZ) Ltd, was formed at Auckland recently to manufacture the Airtruck, two prototypes of which have already flown (ZK-BPV & CKE). Production is due to begin in December and the target is for five in 1967, 15 in 1968 and 24 in 1969. The price has been given as 15,000 pounds. ZK-CKE has flown over 600 hours at the time of writing."

Dreams are free.

[fletcherfu24]

And investors were scare in 1966.
Still the following year and NZ was awash with leased PL-12s.

[Peter Lewis]

Your memories (and photos) of the Airtruk and the Airtruck are of course welcome, but please try and keep them in the relevant threads - there is a separate thread for the PL-12.
This will make life easier for those trying to follow.

[Peter Lewis]

I have now received the rest of Roger Young's files from Dave.
I have extracted the pdf files as jpegs.

'Auckland Star' newspaper, November 1959:


Text extract from 'King Country Chronicle' (local newspaper) Friday 29th April 1960, with two accompanying photographs:

"THE AlRTRUCK BECOMES AIRBORNE AT TE KUMI
HIGHLY SATISFACTORY PRELIMINARY FLYING-TESTS
READY TO OPERATE UPON GOVERNMENT PERMISSION BEING GRANTED

A quiet smile played round the corners of Johnny Johnstone's mouth as he entered the log, "Snow" Bennett's mouth quirked happily upwards at the corners, Jack Gardiner's face had that characteristic slow grin of his . . . The Airtruck had made its first modest flight, and the test pilot and principals of Bennett Aviation Ltd., Te Kuiti, were obviously pleased on Wednesday with the preliminary flying test of their new agricultural aircraft – the first commercial machine designed and built in New Zealand. They were quite certain, too, that the, Italian-born Australian who designed the plane, Luigi Pellarini, would have been pleased too, but sickness prevented Mr. Pellarini coming to New Zealand to see the Airtruck on these early flying tests.
"Everyone wants to know when the Airtruck will fly," said Mr. Bennett. "It is ready to fly now but we must wait until the Air Department gives us its final permission,."

Camera had a Place in Tests .
The flight on Wednesday was modest because the Air Department decreed it should be – in a straight line up the longest runway which the Te Kuiti airfield with some preliminary attention can provide, up in the air perhaps four feet, and down again. That was permitted and nothing more.
Poking his head and his camera happily out of the top of the huge hopper soon to carry 1½ tons of fertiliser was Nelson Irving: But whilst he had not the intent [and] calculating look of Johnny Johnstone at the controls he had an important job too..
The Airtruck, built by Bennett Aviation, is still in the testing stage, and one of the major tests at Te Kuiti on Wednesday was of the behaviour under flying conditions of the twin booms that carry the tail units. For it so happens that this is the first time that an aeroplane has ever been designed with entirely separate booms – they are not joined [together] as with planes like the "Lightning" Air Force jets.

Unconventional, But Functional
The ides is to run loaders quickly and expeditiously between them for reloading. This a top-dressing aircraft, designed for top-dressing from top to bottom – an unconventional, not particularly lovely combination – of wing, hopper, 650 h.p. radial motor; tricycle undercarriage, and with the pilot's compartment perched incongruously an top.
That position, incidentally, gives the pilot a position of safety undreamed of by aerial top-dressers – instead of the pilot being sandwiched between engine and fertiliser payloads he sits right above and has the two as a shock buffer . . .. But if it is unconventional, it certainly looks as if it will be functional.
The firm of Bennett Aviation have also reason to pride themselves on the finish of the aircraft — trim neat without a dent nor a scratchmark marring the tan painted surface.

What Did the Test Pilot Say?
Functional? Well, we are not sure what Johnny said as he climbed down the ladder from the cockpit. Was it “She's a winner, Jack!” or was it “She's a money-spinner Jack,” and either seems to indicate the plane being most functional. It was one of the two, and Jack Gardiner answered, “Wait and See.”

Many Harvards Purchased
For it takes patience, this aircraft designing and building from the ground up. For two years there have been an average of about ten men toiling on the Airtruck – no, not quite so long, for the first idea was to build a much smaller machine. However, the N.Z. Air Department had scores of Harvard trainers for sale – more three score; if we remember rightly. They now belong to Bennett Aviation Limited, with their beautiful, scarcely used 650 h.p. motors. That, and considerations of operating economy brought a change to designing and construction of a machine with a 1½ ton payload.
What this could mean to Te Kuiti and to aerial top-dressing. … ?

One of Reasons for Need of Better Airfield
Between us, this is one of the reasons why the Te Kuiti Borough Council has been very keen to secure early control of the Te Kumi Airfield because without a better field than exists at the moment the industry would be unduly handicapped.
However, there are further tests yet before the Aircraft becomes a demonstration prototype, which it is hoped – and now very confidently expected – will foreshadow the use of many ex-Harvard motors in the specialist-built top-dressing Airtruck. It is mainly only motors and cowls that are used – virtually all the remainder is designed and built from scratch.
We mentioned the tests of the tail-booms and of the gaily-waving Nelson Irving operating his cameras from the hopper rim.
It is just typical of the smaller difficulties which had to be overcome that Alan Meredith – a member of a firm which has had much to do with the plane – worked most of the night adapting a camera so that its focus was wide enough to encompass both tailplanes simultaneously, when little black extensions were placed inside each.
And, of course, Beros Bros. had an eye on this ‘plane when they built their airstrip – the radius of the aircraft will be several times that of conventional Fletchers or Cessnas

The Grumman Avenger – Where Does It Come In?
Lying beside the hangar is a Grumman Avenger, a torpedo-bomber which in war-time operated off the flight decks of aircraft carriers. The Harvards alongside appear diminutive beside it, and the huge torpedo doors beneath could well be the doors of a fertiliser hopper of an aircraft which could attend to distant top-dressing, such as right at the coast or over on the shores of Lake Taupo. This will be a case of waiting and seeing – but it is worth noting that during Wednesday a whole railway truckload of engine parts for the Grumman Avenger arrived at Te Kuiti and are now stowed at Te Kumi. It is understood that two more Avengers – the plane with which the Air Force first carried out aerial top-dressing tests in about 1947 – have been purchased."



'New Zealand Herald' August 1960:


Extract from unknown newspaper regarding crash of ZK-BPV:


Extracts from unknown 1965 newspapers from Geoff Young:


Handwritten note from Geoff Young:

[airtruk]

The history that Geoff Young has come forward with is amazing and invaluable to the history of our aviation industry. The PL-11 was and still is an amazing story which sadly hasn’t been documented in history that well but it’s nice to see in this forum that a lot of the history is coming out, thank you to all those who have shared their story with us especially Geoff Young.

In the last article Geoff Young’s hand written note indicated that he moved to Australia? Did he also take up work with Transavia on the PL-12 project or did he move into other fields?

The other person that I often wonder about is Axel Neil (Johnny) Johnstone? I know that he also joined Luigi Pellarini on the PL-12 project and became Transavia’s chief test pilot. Is he still alive, as I’m sure he has many interesting tails to tell about both aircraft.

[roger]

In reply to the question about Geoff Young -- No, he did not work for Transavia, but he did establish his own business in Australia, as an Aeronautical Engineer. I believe he had some association with Field Air Ballarat who are Australian distributors for the Airtractor. Geoff joined the Bennett Aviation team in March 1960 and is not to be confused with Roger Young who was there at the start of the project (1958). However Geoff Young did effectively take over the PL11 project and was the Design Engineer responsible for prototype #2, ZK-CKE. Roger Young (thats me) was a mere LAME (Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) who also got himself a Commercial Pilot's licence and went off to fly Cessna 185s in New Guinea. I have written a book that has one chapter about the PL11 -- may be of interest to some of your readers ["Many Adventures Followed" is available from Koorong Bookstores in Australia, $14.95 AUD]. Geoff and I are both now retired and living in different parts of Victoria, Australia (No, we are not related -- as far as we know.)
I have no knowledge of what became of Johnny Johnstone -- but I wish I did know as I would love to hear about some of his adventures over the past 40 or more years. I have been told that Snow Bennett died in the 1990s and Luigi sometime about the year 2000.