#Airtruk

[nocternalrandomness]

Australian built PL-12 Airtruk Agricultural aircraft

#Agricultural aircraft #Transavia #PL-12 #Airtruk #Cargo plane #Cropduster #Utility aircraft #strange planes #Airplane #Topdresser #Aviation photography

[hackernewsrobot]

The Ugliest Airplane: An Appreciation of the Transavia AirTruk

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/ugliest-airplane-appreciation-180978708/

[anumberofhobbies]

The Transavia Airtruk Story: The Genius Behind This Ugly Duckling

Oct 10, 2023  I’m beyond excited to present the story behind the one and only Transavia Airtruk from Australia. Learn what made this rather bizarre design so clever.  And why it never took off.   Big thanks to Transfield Holdings for allowing me to use footage of the Aitruk in the production of this video.  

#youtube

[retropopcult]

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

#Bruce Spence #Mel Gibson #runway #airplane #pilot #Max Rockatansky #gif #1980s #plane #Transavia #Airtruk #flying jalopy

[skyfire85]

FLIGHTLINE: 194 - TRANSAVIA PL-12 AIRTRUK

-A Transavia PL-12 owned by Hazair at Temora Airport in 2018. | Photo: Fmt1962

Designed as an agricultural aircraft in the mid-60s, the PL-12's unique design was driven by the nature of the task and the conditions it would face.

PL-11 The PL-12 traces its heritage back to the Bennett/Waitomo PL-11 Airtruck. Seeking to replace the aging fleet of de Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes in New Zealand's aerial topdressing (cropdusting) market, Bennett Aviation, using parts from surplus North American Harvard (T-6 Texan) from the New Zealand Air Force, created the first PL-11 Airtruck. The resulting aircraft had a high wing and a secondary stub wing, an egg-shaped fuselage, and twin booms with disconnected tail surfaces. All of these features meant that the Airtruck could back up to a hopper truck, take on a full load of fertilizer or pesticide, take off from a short, rough field and perform cropdusting at treetop level. The prototype PL-11 took its maiden flight on 2 August 1960, but crashed during a flight in 1963. Bennett, which had undergone reorganization and been renamed Waitomo Aircraft, produced a second Airtruck in 1965, but that aircraft also crashed soon after beginning operations in 1967. A shortage of Harvards and a lack of confidence in the design saw the end of development of the Airtruck and the dissolution of Waitomo.

-The first PL-11 Airtruck in 1960. | Photo: Flyernzl

AIRTRUK The Transavia Corporation, formed as a subsidiary of Transfield Holdings to develop and produce agricultural aircraft for Australia, further refined the Airtruck design, resulting in an all-new aircraft, the PL-12 Airtruk (at the time the "Airtruck" name was still registered to Waitomo).

-Orthograph of the PL-12. | Illustration: aviastar

The PL-12 shares the sesquiplane design and twin booms of the original Airtruck, but is of all-new construction. The main wing is 39 feet in span, with the secondary wing less than half that. The aircraft is 21 feet long and 9 feet high, and weighs only 1,700lbs empty. An internal hopper can carry up to 2,000lbs of dry chemicals, or 216 US gal of liquids. Two fuel tanks in the upper wing have a capacity of 48 US gal, and two additional tanks can be added, bringing total fuel load to 99 gal. The 6-cylinder Rolls-Royce/Continental IO-520 engine produces 300hp and drives a 2-bladed constant speed propeller just over 7 feet in diameter. The PL-12 has a top speed of just 119mph, but with flaps down the stall speed is a remarkable 52kn (60mph, 96kmh). Fully loaded, an Airtruck can take off in just 1,670 feet, while a landing run is 1,600 feet. As with the PL-11, the unusual split tail is designed so that a truck can be easily positioned to fill the PL-12's internal hopper as efficiently as possible, as well as to keep the tail assemblies clear of fertilizer or pesticide spray. The Airtruck has conventional flying surfaces with cable linkages, and the entire frame is constructed from welded tube. The engine cowl, upper deck, hopper and aft fuselage are composed of fibreglass for corrosion-resistance, while the balance of the skin is aluminum. The cockpit, mounted high on the fuselage and accessible by steps, has room for the pilot, while two passengers can be carried in the lower cabin, with entry permitted by a door on the left side of the fuselage. The lower stub wing provides some lift, but its main purpose is to "feed" the material being spread into the larger wing's tip vortices using its own, giving the PL-12 a wider spray pattern than other agricultural aircraft.

-Illustration of how the PL-12's lower wing feeds material into the upper wing's tip vortices. | Animation: Aviation Video International

-An Airtruk doing was it was built to do. | Photo: Transavia Aircraft

In addition to the Airtruk, Transavia also offered the PL-12U, with the hopper removed, giving the plane room for five passengers and turning it into a capable utility transport, air ambulance and aerial survey plane, though no orders of the type are known. In 1978 Transavia released the first T-300 Skyfarmer, which saw improvements to the PL-12 design including a Textron/Lycoming IO-540 engine. This was followed by the T-300A, which saw further changes to aerodynamics, and the T-320, which was powered by a Continental/Rolls-Royce Tiara 6-320 engine. In 1982 Transavia began certification trials to bring the Skyfarmer/Airtruk to the North American market, though there wasn't much success. In 1985 Transavia ceased production of all other models to concentrate on the T-400 Skyfamer, which had a 400hp Lycoming O-720 eight-cylinder engine, as well as a 750mm extension of the tail booms. This was the last model offered, with production ceasing around 1993, with 119 Airtrucks/Skyfarmers of all types completed. Transavia folded soon after. Two other modifications were proposed, the PL-12 MIL, which would have been a multi-role utility transport, air ambulance, forward air control, light attack, counter-insurgency aircraft, and the PL-12 55T, which would have swapped in a 550hp P&W Canada PT6A turboprop engine. There was little enthusiasm for other model, and neither was pursued.

-A PL-12 MIL used as a marketing tool by Transavia. | Photo: Transavia Aircraft.

SURVIVORS Despite being long out of production, the rugged and simple nature of the PL-12 means that there are some still flying, with at least one known in Denmark and Serbia, and five more airworthy examples in Australia. Another is being restored to airworthy status in New Zealand, and there three others on display, with four more in museums around Australia. One Airtruck made its way into Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome as "The Flying Jalopy", used by Jedediah in the opening sequence.

-The Flying Jalopy, a Transavia PL-12, from Max Max Beyond Thunderdome. | Image: Rainbow Films/Warner Bros.

-Transavia PL-12-300 "Airtruk" preserved at the Museo del Aire at Cuatro Vientos airfield near Madrid. | Photo: Andrea

#airplane #airplanes #aircraft #avgeek #farming #crop duster #crop dustring #top dressing #transavia #pl11 #pl 11 #pl 11 airtruck #pl12 #pl 12 #pl 12 airtruk #t300 #t300 skyfarmer #australia #new zealand #mad max beyond thunderdome #utility aircraft

[qupritsuvwix]

#AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT #AUSTRALIA #TRANSAVIA AIRTRUK #TOPDRESSING #CROP DUSTING

[airmanisr]

Transavia PL-12 T-320 Airtruk in Madrid by Johnny Comstedt Via Flickr: C/n G-783 registered VH-TRQ in Museo de Aeronautica y Astronautica (Museo del Aire) at Cuatro Vientos Airport, Madrid, Spain 13. October 2019.

#PL-12 #aircraft

[currinsaviation]

PL-12 Airtruk: how Australia created one of the strangest aircraft in the skies

PL-12 Airtruk: how Australia created one of the strangest aircraft in the skies

VALIUS VENCKUNAS   The world of agricultural aircraft is an unending source of weirdness. These aircraft are basically tractors with wings. But, even in this world of strange and stranger, some planes stand out.   These unusual machines include Fletcher FU-24s, Kensgaila VK-8s, and PZL M-15 Belphegors. It is though the aircraft have been designed with a single purpose: to laugh at Marcel…

View On WordPress

#IFTTT #JC&039;s Aviation

[madmaxminutepodcast]

Beyond Thunderdome Minute 99 - Goodbye, soldier

Aunty lets out a laugh and leaves Max to the desert, stopping only to look back at him and say goodbye before mounting her vehicle and driving away into the wasteland. Max rises to his feet and watches her go. He is left surrounded by wrecked vehicles and smoke as the scene wipes to the Airtruk, now far away from where they were. It flies along reliably, despite the massive sandstorm looming in the distance. The minute ends in the cockpit with Jedediah.

Special Guest: Brad Mull from The Lost World Minute

We have a listener's discussion page on Facebook. Find it at: Mad Max Minute: Beyond Microphone

Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | RSS | Music: Daniel Bautista | MilitiaVox | Support: patreon.com/MadMaxMin

[aviationhistory]

First flight of the Transavia PL-12 Airtruk

#aviation #history #aircraft #aerospace

[currinsaviation]

PL-12 Airtruk: how Australia created one of the strangest aircraft in the skies

PL-12 Airtruk: how Australia created one of the strangest aircraft in the skies

VALIUS VENCKUNAS   The world of agricultural aircraft is an unending source of weirdness. These aircraft are basically tractors with wings. But, even in this world of strange and stranger, some planes stand out.   These unusual machines include Fletcher FU-24s, Kensgaila VK-8s, and PZL M-15 Belphegors. It is though the aircraft have been designed with a single purpose: to laugh at Marcel…

View On WordPress

#Aviation - Military and Civilian - with JC #IFTTT

[airmanisr]

Transavia PL-12 T-320 Airtruk in Madrid by Johnny Comstedt Via Flickr: C/n G-783 registered VH-TRQ in Museo de Aeronautica y Astronautica (Museo del Aire) at Cuatro Vientos Airport, Madrid, Spain 13. October 2019.

#PL-12 #aircraft

[airmanisr]

Transavia PL-12 T-320 Airtruk in Madrid by Johnny Comstedt Via Flickr: C/n G-783 registered VH-TRQ in Museo de Aeronautica y Astronautica (Museo del Aire) at Cuatro Vientos Airport, Madrid, Spain 13. October 2019.

#PL-12 #aircraft

[madmaxminutepodcast]

Beyond Thunderdome Minute 97 - The way things are wont to go

Max guns the engine and speeds ahead of the Airtruk, moving into position between it, and Aunty’s forces. She is unfazed by this development and as if sensing a challenge, Ironbar speeds ahead of the line, straight towards Max. But Max isn’t playing chicken today, and climbs out of the driver’s seat, leaping from the vehicle at the last moment, and sending his camel truck headlong into Ironbar. The plane leaves the ground and takes flight over the remaining vehicles.

Special Guest: Brad Mull from The Lost World Minute

We have a listener's discussion page on Facebook. Find it at: Mad Max Minute: Beyond Microphone

Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | RSS | Music: Daniel Bautista | MilitiaVox | Support: patreon.com/MadMaxMin