Help, I need somebody,

[Glenn]

I'm after info on mobile vehicles used to load Crop Dusters. Actually, the vehicle doesn't matter, it's the container that holds the fertilizer, I'm interested in. Post war, to 1960.
Lyn

[Gary]

YA mean Cletus didn't jest toss a bag o fertilizer into the hopper? Dang complicated stuff that there.

[Glenn]

Well, you see, I've converted this aircraft into a 'duster', and it has to look real. The other thing, is the fertilizer/dust loaded forward or aft of the C/G?

I thought it would be in a 'tanker' or such, a bit like loading water into the tender of a locomotive?
Lyn

[John Howling Mouse]

Holy craaaaaap, Lyn------could you get any more esoteric in your subjects?!?!



Where's Ollie when you need him??? (vacationing!)

[Captain Canada]

Try some sites like Forest Protection Limited, or Air Tractor, who make the spray planes.

Buffalo Airways and or/ Airspray, as well as a company here in Ontario go after bugs that infect timber, so try 'spruce bud worm', which might bring up a few links.

Happy hunting !

[Gary]

I don't know about today, but in the dirty old days the product was a really fine dust, like chalk dust. The forward cockpits (close to the COG) in Stearmans were converted but the dumping mechanisms were rather crude, slotted holes under the fuslage. Pull the plywood panel back and the engine vibrations helped move the powder out into the airstream. The tubes streched out along the wings were a later development  that required liquid pesticides for flow and offered better coverage. Then the tanks were still ahead of the cockpit, but the size was smaller. The later Thrush series kept the tank forward of the pilot but in most cases pretty darn close to the CofG. I suspect the loads are almost always very close to the COG simply because having the load shifting so dramatically. The pilot's weight would be offset by the engine and I canno think of duster that wasn't a taildragger. (other than some C-130's that were converted some years back as well as the Agent Orange planes)

[Gary]

On the vehicles used, shortly after the war ended and liquid fertlizers and the like were used, old fuel and water trucks were used, but painted up remarkably in most cases so that there would be any boo boo's. Also flat beds with drums hand cranked were used. Also, some of these trucks had booms instead of 1 inch hose and I've seen trucks with the booms, their hose ends had an umbrella affair that would catch overspill. It's kinda hard to describe, but imagine a 6 foot wide umbrella with a flange in the middle that sealed to the sprayer tank. The hose entered through the flange but shoud the tank over flow the umbrella caught the overflow. The overflow could be sucked back and no one gets splashed with gooo.

Now the Avengers I've seen used by Forest protection services used a closed system. Two hoses attached one sucking out the air, the other pumped in the bug juice.  

[Glenn]

Thank you my friends!
So, I'll probably use an old fuel truck with a nozzle. Wonderful!
The aircraft is finished, now for the truck!
Lyn

[Glenn]

The truck is a ZIL 157 fuel truck, in 1/72sc. A beautiful kit, and now awaiting photos.
Lyn