K5054NZ Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 New Zealand's agriculture industry is thriving thanks to aerial topdressing, pioneered with modified Tiger Moths, but made truly efficient with introduction of the Fletcher Fu24. This aircraft, specifically designed for New Zealand conditions, has proven to be highly successful. First flown in 1954, around 100 still fly today, many behind turboprops rather than the original piston. For a full history check out Wikipedia, or Google "Fletcher Fu24". The above is ZK-EGK, one of three Fletchers owned by Wanganui Aero Work....my employer! Alan Ayling, a Kiwi now resident in the UK, has created a kit in 1:20 of this iconic Kiwi machine (his project is chronicled here http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board...amp;thread=8810 ). After many months of hard work the first kits have been dispatched to their very grateful and excited owners. I received kit #2 And such are the contents of the kit. The airframe is fibreglass, and the canopy vacformed plastic. Undercarriage is a very nice pre-assembled brass assembly, with the wheels having plastic rims and foam tires. Fine PE mesh is included for behind the engine cowl, and carbon paper to allow one to trace the necessary fuselage bulkheads onto ply. Flaps and ailerons are separate. These all require the builder to supply his/her own method of attachment. A comprehensive set of construction steps, illustrated with photos of Alan's prototype, is also included. Here's a 1:72 Spitfire IXc to illustrate the rough scale difference. First job will be tracing and cutting the bulkheads in the cockpit, allowing construction to begin there. My day job is servicing actual Fletchers and their direct descendent, the PAC Cresco, so although the folks at work think I'm a tad nutty for wanting to work on them in my spare time, they are all very impressed with the detail included. I should mention that, in the 50+ years of the Fletcher's existence, this is the first model kit to be produced. I, along with many modellers downunder, have wanted one for a loooong time! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony in NZ Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Hey Zac! Glad to see you got yours ok today. Mine (#5) is leaving today! Great to see someone do this iconic aircraft. Should look great with my 1/20 Hughes 500 and Cessna 172 kits..........when I get around to building them! Might have to have a chat sometime about some detail refs of ZK-EGK, thats the machine I am planning on converting mine into. Cheers Anthony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richter111 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Interesting and I learned something new! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ross blackford Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) :) , Just wondering how many of us knew that the Fu-24 was developed from the Fletcher FD-25 which was a light COIN aircraft designed in the US in the early 50's. The first flight was in 1953 and then the rights to this bird were sold to Toyo in Japan who produced 12, 8 were sold to Cambodia and the other 4 to Vietnam. I guess the other 3 were the US prototype and a couple of pre-production birds built in the US. This bird looked to be slightly shorter than the Fu-24 and a tailwheel design but the wing appears to be pretty much the same as the Fu-24's. Somewhere amongst my pics from Watts Bridge last year I have pics of both the piston engined version and a turboprop development of the Fletcher Fu-24 that I took at Armidale on the way home. I'll have a hunt through my pics and post them later today or tomorrow. , Ross. Edited May 26, 2009 by ross blackford Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 carbon paper to allow one to trace... Carbon paper. What a quaint notion! Next they'll be including dial telephones and TVs without remotes in their kits. Who knows, maybe even slide rules! J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ross blackford Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 , Hello Zac, I see you mention the Cresco. Are they used much for ag purposes in NZ? I was talking to the director of the company in Armidale that owns several Fletchers and a Cresco and he told me they don't use the Cresco in the ag role here. For some reason which I can't remember now they were found unsuitable for that role but have found their niche as a parachutist's/skydiver's bird. Just wondering what the general opinion in NZ was. , Ross. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 (edited) NZ Crescos are almost exclusively ag - we operate eight in the role. Several turboprop Fletchers are used as dropships, as are PAC 750XLs (a new development of the Cresco). I can think of maybe one Cresco out of the thirty or so in NZ which is used as a dropship, the rest are topdressers. NZ opinion is the Cresco is the perfect topdressing aircraft, or at least the best yet produced. From what I gather the Fu24 wasn't developed from the FD25 as such, it just shared John Thorpe's distinctive wing and vertical stabiliser design - hence the apparent misconception that one was explicitly developed from the other.. I believe the prototype still exists in the US, and is advertised for sale every so often. Eddie from work has some silver steel (?) which he will bring in tomorrow so that we can shape it on the lathe for the spinner. He's also going to look for suitable wheel bolt items in his workshop tonight Cut out the two main bulkheads today, will work on sanding to shape tonight....although the Italeri Spit TB863 is looking a little left out.... Much discussion at work today regards colour schemes. I may have made my selection but as said before, paint is still some time away. Edited May 27, 2009 by K5054NZ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DDC Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 K5054NZ, thanks for posting! Looks like a very interesting project. I looked all over the RNZAF board, but couldn't find a price anywhere. Would you mind divulging please? :D We Look after this 750 at work: I've toyed with the idea of scratchbuilding one (Not quite 1/20th scale though!), but this might be a better place to start. Keep us updated on your build! Cheers. Denzil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 (edited) The price is around NZ$150, get in touch with Alan aka "Fletcher400" at the RNZAF forum I love your idea of building a 750XL from the kit. Certainly no small amount of work involved there! Edited May 27, 2009 by K5054NZ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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