Ayres Thrush

infobox Aircraft
name = Thrush
type = Aerial application aircraft

manufacturer = Ayres Corporation



caption = The radial engine powered Ayres S-2R Thrush
designer = Leland Snow
first flight = 1956
introduction =
retired =
status =
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = less than 2,000
program cost=
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Ayres Thrush, formerly the Snow S-2,Macdonald, 1964. p.138.] the Aero Commander Ag Commander and the Rockwell Thrush Commander, is one of the most successful and long-lived agricultural aircraft in the world. Nearly 2,000 have been sold since the first example flew almost fifty years ago. Typical of agricultural aircraft, it is a single-seat low-wing monoplane of conventional taildragger configuration. Originally powered by a radial piston engine, most examples produced since the 1980s have been turboprop-powered.

Design and development

The Thrush was designed by Leland Snow and first flew in 1956, and before long was being produced in series as the S-2 by the company he founded, Snow Aeronautical. Macdonald, 1964. p.138.] In 1965, the corporation and all its assets were purchased by the Aero Commander division of Rockwell, which put it into production alongside the CallAir A-9 that it had also acquired, branding both unrelated (though similar) machines as "Ag Commanders". When Rockwell dropped the Aero Commander brand, the S-2 was renamed the "Thrush Commander".

In 1977, Rockwell sold off the production rights to the aircraft and the production facility at Albany, Georgia, which were purchased by Ayres Corporation, a firm which had been built on retro-fitting turboprop engines to Thrush Commanders. On June 30, 2003, Ayres' assets were purchased by Thrush Aircraft, the current producer of the aircraft.

Ayres also attempted to market a militarised version as the Ayres Vigilante, intended for the Close Air Support role, but this failed to attract customers. cite web|url = http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v3/v3n3/articles/ayres.html|title = Combat Crop Dusters: the Turbo-Thrush NEDS and the V-1-A Vigilante|accessdate = 2008-08-03|last = Johnson |first = Robert Craig|authorlink = |year = 1998]

Variants

now Aeronautical

* S-2A - single prototype, powered by Pratt & Whitney R-985
* S-2B - initial production version
* S-2C - refined production version
* S-2C-600 - S-2C re-engined with Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN1
* S-2D

Aero Commander

* S-2D Ag Commander

Rockwell

* Thrush Commander 600
* Thrush Commander 800 - powered by Wright R-1300

Marsh

* S2R-T Turbo Thrush - Rockwell Thrush Commanders converted to turbine power by Marsh Aviation using Garrett-AiResearch TPE 331-1-101 engines

Ayres

* S-2R 1340 - equivalent to Thrush Commander 600
* S-2R 1820 or Bull Thrush
* Pezetel Thrush - powered by PZL-3
* S-2R-T - turboprop powered versions equipped with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6

pecifications (Thrush Commander 600)

General characteristics

* Crew: one pilot
* Capacity: 370 US gal (1,514 l) or 3,270 lb (1,487 kg) of chemicals
* Length: 29 ft 5 in (8.95 m)
* Wingspan: 44 ft 4 in (13.51 m)
* Height: 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m)
* Wing area: 326 ft² (30.3 m²)
* Empty: 3,700 lb (1,680 kg)
* Loaded: lb ( kg)
* Maximum takeoff: 6,000 lb (2,720 kg)
* Powerplant: 1x Pratt & Whitney R-1340, 600 hp (450 kW)

Performance

* Maximum speed: 140 mph (225 km/h)
* Range: 405 miles (648 km)
* Service ceiling: ft ( m)
* Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (225 m/min)
* Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
* Power/Mass: hp/lb ( kW/kg)

References

Bibliography

* Green, William. "Aircraft Handbook". London. Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1964.

Related content

Related development:
* Snow S-1
* PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader

Comparable aircraft:
* Cessna 188
* Grumman Ag Cat
* PAC Cresco
* PAC Fletcher
* PZL-106 Kruk
* Zlin Z-37 Cmelak

External links

* [http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=53 Airliners.net Ayres Thrush]