PAC Fletcher

The Fletcher FU-24 is an agricultural aircraft made in New Zealand. One of the first designed for aerial topdressing, the Fletcher has also been used for other aerial applications as a utility aircraft, and for sky diving.

Design and development

The FU-24 was loosely based on the Fletcher FD-25 Defender, designed by US aeronautical engineer and light aircraft enthusiast John W. Thorp, and originally conceived in 1951 as an STOL light attack aircraft.  The prototype Defender was built by Fletcher Aviation in California and first flew in 1953.  A few Defenders were later built in Japan.

At the time New Zealand top dressing operators were in the U.S. seeking a replacement for war surplus De Havilland Tiger Moths which formed the backbone of the industry.  Thorp and Wendell Fletcher incorporated many elements of the Defender into a new design, the FU-24.   A group of New Zealand top dressing operators gathered a hundred options for the design off the drawing board, and founded a company, Air Parts, to assemble the type in New Zealand, while a New Zealand farming company, Cable Price Corporation, funded the construction of two prototypes in the U.S. with the New Zealand Meat Producers Board acting as financial guarantor.

The first prototype FU-24 flew on 14 June 1954 in the United States, then was disassembled for shipment to New Zealand, together with the (unflown) second prototype.  The original prototype had a  engine and open cockpit.  Prior to production commencing, this design was altered to add an enclosed cockpit and more powerful 260 to  Continental engines.

The next 70 aircraft were delivered to New Zealand in kit form and assembled at Hamilton airport.  From 1961 full production was undertaken locally, by Air Parts, which later became part of AESL and detail improvements and the option of dual controls were added, becoming the Mark II.

The Fletcher is a conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle undercarriage, side-by-side seating in front of the wing and hopper and pronounced dihedral on the outer wing panels. A door aft of the wing's trailing edge on the port side allows access to a cargo compartment.  The Fletcher's airframe is constructed entirely of aluminium, heavily treated to prevent corrosion.

After the 257th aircraft the engine was changed to a  Lycoming IO-720 horizontally-opposed eight-cylinder engine (over a hundred earlier aircraft were re-built and re-engined by the factory).  Some Fletchers have also flown with V-8 truck engines.  In 1967 a PT6 turboprop version was built by James Aviation as ZK-CTZ, a  Garrett TPE 331-powered version followed in 1968 and a  Garrett-powered version in 1971, both for Robertson Air Service.  Several others were converted aftermarket with these or Walter turbines, (including the first prototype, which flew until recently with a Walter).
Two aircraft were also converted to Garrett TPE 331-10 engines by the Scone (NSW Australia) operator Airpasture. These aircraft have since flown many thousands of hours without incident.

In the mid 1970s, Pacific Aerospace decided the Fletcher design was reaching the limits of redevelopment and introduced the  larger and stronger PAC Cresco.  Despite the similar appearance this is a new aircraft, though sharing a few components.  For several years production of the two continued side by side, but the type is now effectively out of production, (new Fletchers remain nominally available from the manufacturer, but no new aircraft have been built since a batch of five for Syria was completed in 1992).

Although Fletcher was the name of the manufacturer in the U.S. and the aircraft was called the FU-24, over time the type has become colloquially known as the Fletcher.  Fletchers have been sold to most parts of the world, although they are rare in Europe and the US.  Government orders came from many developing countries including Thailand, Syria, Iraq and Sudan.

Variants
 FU-24 : Single-seat agricultural top dressing aircraft.
 FU-24A Utility : Six-seat utility transport aircraft. One prototype built in the United States.
 FU-24-950 : Two-seat agricultural top dressing aircraft. Also known as the Task Master in the United States.
 FU-24-954 : Improved version.
 Pegasus 1 : Military version developed by Frontier Aerospace, of Long Beach, California.

Operators

Air Culture Pty
Pays Air Service
Superair

Barr Brothers
Fieldair
James Aviation - peak of 36 aircraft
Mount Cook Airline - six aircraft
Ravensdown Aerowork (previously Wanganui Aero Work) - now three, peak of 12 aircraft
Robertson Air Service
Super Air

there are few at Lahore flying club

Specifications (FU-24-954)

Specifications (FU-24A)
As FU-24-954 except:

See also

References

 Alexander, G. & J. S. Tullett, The Super Men. A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1967
 Ewing, Ross and MacPherson, Ross. The History of New Zealand Aviation, Heinemann, 1986
 Geelen, Janic. The Topdressers NZ Aviation Press. Te Awamutu, 1983
 Knowles, Alan. New Zealand Aircraft, IPL Books, Wellington, 1990
 Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–94. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Data Division, 1993. .
 Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London:Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965.
 Wood, Dereck, Janes World Aircraft Recognition Handbook, Jane's Publishing Company, London, 1982

External links

 Manufacturer's web site
 
 Fletcher page at Kiwi Aircraft images

Fletcher
Category:1950s New Zealand agricultural aircraft
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft
Category:Low-wing aircraft
Category:Aircraft first flown in 1954