Everything about Rockwell Thrush Commander totally explained
The
Ayres Thrush, formerly the
Snow S-2, 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's 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. 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.
Variants
Snow Aeronautical
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
Specifications (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)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Rockwell Thrush Commander'.
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