209:
165:. It featured all aluminium structure, a high-wing monoplane with a steel stub wing and V lift struts, steerable tricycle undercarriage, an extremely stubby pod fuselage, the cockpit (made from shortened Harvard glazing) being mounted directly over the radial engine, providing excellent forward view and very high drag, beneath it was room for a
31:
172:
or up to 5 people in a cabin. The strangeness was completed by twin booms each supporting unconnected tail units, (the idea being a truck could reverse between the tail units to load the hopper). Despite the outlandish appearance, the
Airtruck was surprisingly successful, if unable to compete with
184:
and registered ZK-CKE, flew in March 1965. It commenced commercial operations late in
February 1967 but crashed a few days later. An unconfirmed report indicates that a third airframe was largely constructed but never flew.
180:
The first
Bennett Airtruck, ZK-BPV, took to the air on 2 August 1960, and crashed during trials in October 1963. Following company reorganization the second example, known as the
405:
410:
425:
430:
390:
420:
415:
295:
193:
151:
124:
158:
market by Luigi
Pellarini for Waitomo Aircraft. The prototype was constructed using bits of war surplus ex-
162:
64:
189:
140:
73:
69:
147:
114:
155:
369:
208:
188:
A shortage of
Harvard parts led to the type being redesigned for all-new construction by the
166:
399:
299:
174:
385:
137:
57:
197:
146:
A strikingly unusual aircraft, the PL-11 Airtruck was developed from the
169:
265:
30:
213:
207:
159:
329:
43 mph (69 km/h, 37 kn) (flaps down, hopper empty)
335:
450 mi (720 km, 390 nmi) (with max fuel)
323:
124 mph (200 km/h, 108 kn) (econ cruise)
120:
110:
102:
97:
89:
79:
63:
53:
45:
40:
23:
375:. London:Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965.
357:
355:
341:1,800 ft/min (9.1 m/s) (hopper empty)
8:
20:
317:164 mph (264 km/h, 143 kn)
406:1960s New Zealand agricultural aircraft
373:Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66
351:
223:Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66
7:
411:Aircraft manufactured in New Zealand
255:10 ft 10 in (3.30 m)
249:48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
243:25 ft 8 in (7.82 m)
14:
261:369 sq ft (34.3 m)
204:Specifications (Waitomo Airtruck)
16:New Zealand agricultural aircraft
196:, 118 of which were produced in
29:
426:Single-engined tractor aircraft
237:1 pilot, seats for two loaders
1:
282:7,200 lb (3,266 kg)
276:3,700 lb (1,678 kg)
431:Aircraft first flown in 1960
391:New Zealand forum discussion
302:, 550 hp (410 kW)
212:A model of the Airtruck at
447:
296:Pratt & Whitney R-1340
298:nine-cylinder air-cooled
150:as a replacement for the
28:
386:Airliners.net info page
228:General characteristics
200:between 1965 and 1985.
194:Transavia PL-12 Airtruk
163:North American Harvards
152:de Havilland Tiger Moth
125:Transavia PL-12 Airtruk
288:84 Imp Gallons (382 L)
217:
182:Waitomo PL-11 Airtruck
177:in its design market.
35:The Airtruck prototype
211:
190:Transavia Corporation
141:agricultural aircraft
49:Agricultural aircraft
148:Kingsford Smith PL.7
115:Kingsford Smith PL.7
361:Taylor 1965, p.111.
280:Max takeoff weight:
154:in the New Zealand
41:General information
421:Twin-boom aircraft
416:High-wing aircraft
370:Taylor, John W. R.
218:
156:aerial topdressing
130:
129:
438:
362:
359:
310:
230:
74:Waitamo Aircraft
70:Bennett Aviation
33:
21:
446:
445:
441:
440:
439:
437:
436:
435:
396:
395:
382:
366:
365:
360:
353:
348:
306:
226:
206:
85:
84:Luigi Pellarini
54:National origin
36:
17:
12:
11:
5:
444:
442:
434:
433:
428:
423:
418:
413:
408:
398:
397:
394:
393:
388:
381:
380:External links
378:
377:
376:
364:
363:
350:
349:
347:
344:
343:
342:
339:Rate of climb:
336:
330:
324:
318:
315:Maximum speed:
304:
303:
289:
286:Fuel capacity:
283:
277:
271:
262:
256:
250:
244:
238:
205:
202:
167:superphosphate
134:PL-11 Airtruck
128:
127:
122:
118:
117:
112:
111:Developed from
108:
107:
104:
100:
99:
95:
94:
91:
87:
86:
83:
81:
77:
76:
67:
61:
60:
55:
51:
50:
47:
43:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
443:
432:
429:
427:
424:
422:
419:
417:
414:
412:
409:
407:
404:
403:
401:
392:
389:
387:
384:
383:
379:
374:
371:
368:
367:
358:
356:
352:
345:
340:
337:
334:
331:
328:
325:
322:
321:Cruise speed:
319:
316:
313:
312:
311:
309:
301:
300:radial engine
297:
293:
290:
287:
284:
281:
278:
275:
274:Empty weight:
272:
269:
267:
263:
260:
257:
254:
251:
248:
245:
242:
239:
236:
233:
232:
231:
229:
224:
222:
215:
210:
203:
201:
199:
195:
191:
186:
183:
178:
176:
175:Fletcher Fu24
171:
168:
164:
161:
157:
153:
149:
144:
142:
139:
135:
126:
123:
119:
116:
113:
109:
106:2 August 1960
105:
101:
96:
92:
88:
82:
78:
75:
71:
68:
66:
62:
59:
56:
52:
48:
44:
39:
32:
27:
22:
19:
372:
338:
332:
327:Stall speed:
326:
320:
314:
307:
305:
291:
285:
279:
273:
264:
258:
252:
246:
240:
234:
227:
225:
220:
219:
187:
181:
179:
145:
133:
131:
103:First flight
90:Number built
65:Manufacturer
18:
308:Performance
292:Powerplant:
138:New Zealand
58:New Zealand
400:Categories
346:References
270:NACA 23012
259:Wing area:
247:Wingspan:
221:Data from
198:Australia
192:, as the
121:Variants
80:Designer
24:Airtruck
266:Airfoil
253:Height:
241:Length:
98:History
333:Range:
170:hopper
235:Crew:
214:MOTAT
160:RNZAF
136:is a
294:1 ×
173:the
132:The
46:Type
402::
354:^
143:.
72:/
268::
216:.
93:2
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
