The Ayres Thrush, formerly the Snow S-2,[1]Aero Commander Ag Commander, and Rockwell Thrush Commander, is an American agricultural aircraft produced by Ayres Corporation and more recently by Thrush Aircraft. It is one of the most successful and long-lived agricultural application aircraft types in the world, with almost 2,000 sold since the first example flew 67 years ago. Typical of agricultural aircraft, it is a single-seat monoplane of conventional taildragger configuration. Originally powered by a radial piston engine, most examples produced since the 1980s have been turboprop-powered.
Early Snow S-2A of 1959 with open cockpit and roll-over protection bar at Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 1997, in pseudo-USAAF markings
The Thrush, designed by Leland Snow, first flew in 1956 and before long was being produced in series as the S-2 by the company he founded, Snow Aeronautical.[1] In 1965, the corporation and all of 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.
The S-2 and its several variants have been purchased by agricultural spraying operators in many countries. Large numbers are operated in the United States and Australia, while other countries using the type include Costa Rica, France, Guyana, Iran, Israel, Jamaica, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Ayres developed a special anti-narcotics crop-spraying version of the Turbo-Thrush for the United States Department of State. This version, known as the Narcotics Eradication Delivery System (NEDS)[2][3] featured an armored cockpit and engine to protect against hostile ground fire. Nine were sold to the Department of State between 1983 and 1985.[4] Ayres also attempted to market a militarized version as the Ayres Vigilante, intended for the Close Air Support role, but this failed to attract customers.[5] IOMAX USA of North Carolina, which had previously modified Air Tractor AT-802 agricultural aircraft as reconnaissance/attack aircraft, has developed the Archangel attack aircraft modeled on the S-2R-660. The United Arab Emirates has ordered 24 Archangels, with delivery from June 2015.[6]
Two Thrush 510Gs were modified to perform a counter-insurgency role by the Austrian company Airborne Technologies at the direction of Erik Prince, the former head of Blackwater, but in the absence of an export license the aircraft have not been used operationally.[7]
Variants
Aero Commander S-2D exhibited at the 1967 Paris Air Show
Simpson, Rod. The General Aviation Handbook. Midland Publishing. 2005. ISBN1-85780-222-5.
Taylor, John W R. (editor). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976-77. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN0-354-00538-3.
Taylor, John W R. (editor). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group, 1988. ISBN0-7106-0867-5.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ayres Thrush.
Official website
"Ayres Thrush". Airliners.net.
Joe F. Edwards (Apr 5, 2017). "COIN Machine: Flying The Iomax Archangel". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
January 07, 2023
ayres, thrush, formerly, snow, aero, commander, commander, rockwell, thrush, commander, american, agricultural, aircraft, produced, ayres, corporation, more, recently, thrush, aircraft, most, successful, long, lived, agricultural, application, aircraft, types,. The Ayres Thrush formerly the Snow S 2 1 Aero Commander Ag Commander and Rockwell Thrush Commander is an American agricultural aircraft produced by Ayres Corporation and more recently by Thrush Aircraft It is one of the most successful and long lived agricultural application aircraft types in the world with almost 2 000 sold since the first example flew 67 years ago Typical of agricultural aircraft it is a single seat monoplane of conventional taildragger configuration Originally powered by a radial piston engine most examples produced since the 1980s have been turboprop powered ThrushThe radial engine powered Ayres S 2R ThrushRole Aerial application aircraftManufacturer Ayres CorporationThrush AircraftDesigner Leland SnowFirst flight 1956Status In productionProduced 1956 presentNumber built less than 2 000 Contents 1 Design and development 2 Variants 2 1 Snow Aeronautical 2 2 Aero Commander 2 3 Rockwell 2 4 Marsh 2 5 Ayres 2 6 Thrush Aircraft 3 Specifications Thrush Commander 600 4 See also 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External linksDesign and development Edit Early Snow S 2A of 1959 with open cockpit and roll over protection bar at Santa Fe New Mexico June 1997 in pseudo USAAF markings The Thrush designed by Leland Snow first flew in 1956 and before long was being produced in series as the S 2 by the company he founded Snow Aeronautical 1 In 1965 the corporation and all of 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 The S 2 and its several variants have been purchased by agricultural spraying operators in many countries Large numbers are operated in the United States and Australia while other countries using the type include Costa Rica France Guyana Iran Israel Jamaica the Netherlands and the United Kingdom Ayres developed a special anti narcotics crop spraying version of the Turbo Thrush for the United States Department of State This version known as the Narcotics Eradication Delivery System NEDS 2 3 featured an armored cockpit and engine to protect against hostile ground fire Nine were sold to the Department of State between 1983 and 1985 4 Ayres also attempted to market a militarized version as the Ayres Vigilante intended for the Close Air Support role but this failed to attract customers 5 IOMAX USA of North Carolina which had previously modified Air Tractor AT 802 agricultural aircraft as reconnaissance attack aircraft has developed the Archangel attack aircraft modeled on the S 2R 660 The United Arab Emirates has ordered 24 Archangels with delivery from June 2015 6 Two Thrush 510Gs were modified to perform a counter insurgency role by the Austrian company Airborne Technologies at the direction of Erik Prince the former head of Blackwater but in the absence of an export license the aircraft have not been used operationally 7 Variants Edit Aero Commander S 2D exhibited at the 1967 Paris Air Show Ayres S2R T Thrush powered by a Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT 6 turboprop Ayres S 2R Thrush Model 510G 510G armed by Bulgarian LASA Engineering Snow Aeronautical Edit per Simpson 2005 p 39 S 1 initial prototype with open cockpit S 2 pre production version of S 1 3 built S 2A initial production version powered by Continental engine 73 built S 2B S 2 powered by 450 hp 340 kW Pratt amp Whitney R 985 19 built S 2C refined production version wingspan increased 4 feet 6 inches 1 37 m 8 214 built S 2C 600 S 2C re engined with Pratt amp Whitney R 1340 AN1 S 2D 6 000 lb 2 700 kg take off weight 105 built Aero Commander Edit S 2D Ag CommanderRockwell Edit Thrush Commander 600 Thrush Commander 800 powered by Wright R 1300 Marsh Edit S2R T Turbo Thrush Rockwell Thrush Commanders converted to turbine power by Marsh Aviation using Garrett AiResearch TPE331 1 101 engines Ayres Edit S 2R 1340 equivalent to Thrush Commander 600 S 2R 1820 Bull Thrush Pezetel Thrush powered by PZL 3 S 2R T turboprop powered versions equipped with Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6A Thrush Aircraft Edit Thrush Model 400Thrush Model 510G General Electric H80 powered 9 Thrush Model 510GR Honeywell TPE 331 powered 10 Thrush Model 510P Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6A 34 powered 11 Thrush Model 550 Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6A 65AG powered 12 Thrush Model 710 Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6A 65AG powered 13 Archangel Thrush 550G modified as two seat armed attack aircraft 1 600 shp 1 200 kW PT6A 67F engine Fitted with 6 hardpoints for 6 000 lb 2 700 kg of external stores 14 Specifications Thrush Commander 600 EditData from Jane s All The World s Aircraft 1976 77 15 General characteristicsCrew one Capacity 400 US gal 330 imp gal 1 500 L liquids or 3 280 lb 1 490 kg dry chemicals Length 29 ft 2 in 8 89 m Wingspan 44 ft 4 in 13 51 m Height 9 ft 2 in 2 79 m Wing area 326 6 sq ft 30 34 m2 Empty weight 3 700 lb 1 678 kg Max takeoff weight 6 900 lb 3 130 kg Fuel capacity 106 US gal 88 imp gal 400 L Powerplant 1 Pratt amp Whitney R 1340 Wasp 9 cylinder air cooled radial engine 600 hp 450 kW Propellers 2 bladed Hamilton Standard 12D40 metal constant speed propellerPerformance Maximum speed 140 mph 230 km h 120 kn Cruise speed 124 mph 200 km h 108 kn 70 power Stall speed 66 mph 106 km h 57 kn at 6 000 lb 2 700 kg flaps down Ferry range 403 mi 649 km 350 nmi 70 power Service ceiling 15 000 ft 4 600 m Rate of climb 900 ft min 4 6 m s See also EditRelated development PZL Mielec M 18 DromaderAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Aero Boero 260AG Air Tractor AT 300 Air Tractor AT 802 Cessna 188 Embraer EMB 202 Ipanema Grumman Ag Cat PAC Cresco PAC Fletcher Piper PA 25 Pawnee PZL 106 Kruk Zlin Z 37 CmelakReferences Edit a b Macdonald 1964 p 138 The Ayres Thrush amp Rockwell Thrush Commander Airliners net Retrieved December 11 2012 Trevithick Joe The U S State Department has its own air force And it s surprisingly big The Week The Week Retrieved 4 August 2017 J W R Taylor 1988 p 328 AYRES V 1 A Vigilante as COIN Aircraft Opus224 s Unofficial Philippine Defense Page Archived from the original on June 24 2012 Retrieved December 11 2012 Ayton Air International February 2017 pp 25 27 Scahill Jeremy Cole Matthew 11 April 2016 Echo Papa Exposed The Intercept Retrieved 31 January 2017 Snow S 2C Has Larger Wings Ailerons 1964 Retrieved 14 November 2022 a href Template Cite magazine html title Template Cite magazine cite magazine a Cite magazine requires magazine help Thrush Aircraft 510G Thrush Aircraft thrushaircraft com Retrieved 8 December 2016 Thrush Aircraft 510GR Thrush Aircraft thrushaircraft com Retrieved 8 December 2016 Thrush Aircraft Thrush 510P Thrush Aircraft Retrieved 8 December 2016 Thrush Aircraft 550P Thrush Aircraft thrushaircraft com Archived from the original on 21 October 2016 Retrieved 8 December 2016 Thrush Aircraft 710P Thrush Aircraft thrushaircraft com Archived from the original on 20 December 2016 Retrieved 8 December 2016 Ayton Air International February 2017 pp 25 31 Taylor 1976 p 379 Bibliography EditAyton Mark Archangel Crop Duster to Tank Buster Air International Vol 92 No 2 February 2017 pp 24 33 ISSN 0306 5634 Green William Aircraft Handbook London Macdonald amp Co Publishers Ltd 1964 Simpson Rod The General Aviation Handbook Midland Publishing 2005 ISBN 1 85780 222 5 Taylor John W R editor Jane s All The World s Aircraft 1976 77 London Jane s Yearbooks 1976 ISBN 0 354 00538 3 Taylor John W R editor Jane s All The World s Aircraft 1988 89 Coulsdon Surrey UK Jane s Information Group 1988 ISBN 0 7106 0867 5 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ayres Thrush Official website Ayres Thrush Airliners net Joe F Edwards Apr 5 2017 COIN Machine Flying The Iomax Archangel Aviation Week amp Space Technology Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ayres Thrush amp oldid 1121939556, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
