Yeoman Cropmaster

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Yeoman Cropmaster
Yeoman CropmasterThe first Cropmaster YA-1
Type: Agricultural aircraft
Design country:

AustraliaAustralia Australia

Manufacturer:

Yeoman Aviation

First flight:

January 15, 1960

Commissioning:

1960

Number of pieces:

21st

The yeoman cropmaster was an agricultural aircraft, consisting of the RAAF retired CAC Wackett -Schulflugzeugen by the Australian manufacturer Yeoman Aviation has been developed.

History and construction

Yeoman Aviation was a subsidiary of Kingsford Smith Aviation Services and was founded to develop and produce agricultural aircraft. Kingsford Smith Aviation had acquired a number of Wacketts from the RAAF after they were retired . Four of these were converted to KS-3 Cropmaster for agricultural use in the late 1950s . The conversion involved little more than the installation of a chemical container in place of the rear seat and some minor changes to the wings.

It can be clearly seen that the Cropmaster has retained the trunk structure of the CAC Wackett
The planned YA-1B
The Yeoman 175 was used to test a new tail unit
The last stage of development was the Cropmaster 300

In contrast to this, major changes were made to the cell during the conversion to the YA-1 Cropmaster . The original tubular steel fuselage structure was retained, but a 650 liter chemical container was installed in place of the rear seat. However, the fuselage had to be partially reinforced with metal plates and fiberglass parts (the Wackett was covered with fabric). The wings were originally made of wood and were replaced by metal wings on the Cropmaster. The first five aircraft kept the wooden stern of the Wackett, the following machines received one made of metal, including a new horizontal stabilizer, a swept fin and larger rudders. The Wackett also retained the non-retractable tail wheel landing gear. The radial engine of the Wackett was replaced by a boxer engine: in the YA-1 250 a Lycoming O-540 with 250 HP and a hard cell propeller , in the YA-1 250R a Continental IO-470, which also made 250 HP and either with a hard cell - or a McCauley propeller . A planned variant with nose wheel landing gear was the YA-1B , of which none was built. Another variant was the YA-1 285 with a 285 hp Continental engine. However, it is not clear whether this variant was built. The first Cropmaster, a YA-1 250, took off on its maiden flight on January 15, 1960. Twenty more aircraft were converted before production ceased in 1966. Like the CAC Ceres , which was developed at the same time , the Cropmaster could not compete with more modern agricultural aircraft.

A single Wackett, known as the Yeoman 175 , was converted into a flying test stand while retaining the original engine to test the new all-metal tail unit.

Another development step was the Cropmaster 300 . The wingspan of the wings was increased to 11.28 m. The tail unit remained unchanged and the tail wheel landing gear was retained, but a new main landing gear was installed. New plastic fuel tanks, mounted between the front and rear wing spars, increased the fuel capacity to 195 liters. In addition, the capacity of the chemical container has also been increased. The cockpit was widened so that there was space for a passenger next to the pilot.

A YA-1 Cropmaster 250 (ex VH-DEQ) was sold to New Zealand in 1964, where it served as ZK-CDI for several years. In 1968, IM Hanes bought the machine and, after removing the chemical container, converted it into a three-seater travel machine. This machine was now called the Yeoman-Hanes 250 and flew until 1990 when it was badly damaged in an accident. Eventually the damaged machine was sold back to Australia and brought back into airworthy condition so that it could fly again as VH-FBC in December 2001.

Technical specifications

Parameter Data (YA-1 250R Cropmaster)
crew 1
length 8.02 m
span 10.67 m
height 2.97 m
Wing area 16.63 m²
Wing extension 6.8
Empty mass 817 kg
Max. Takeoff mass 1600 kg
Cruising speed 129 km / h
Top speed 245 km / h
Service ceiling
Range 3 h
Engines 1 × Continental IO-470-R with 187 kW

See also

literature

  • John WR Taylor: Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66. Sampson Low, Marston & Company, London 1965.
  • Stewart Wilson: Tiger Moth, CT-4, Wackett & Winjeel in Australian Service. Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd. ISBN 1-875671-16-1
  • Timothy & Elizabeth Hall: The Observer's Book of Civil Aircraft of Australia and New Zealand. Methuen of Australia Pty. Ltd. ISBN 0-454-00075-8

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ David Eyre: Kingsford Smith KS-3 , The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft in Australia and New Zealand, p. 143. Sunshine Books, Hornsby NSW, 1983. ISBN 0-86777-272-7
  2. ^ Stanley Brogden: Australian Light Aircraft , Flight magazine, August 12, 1960, p. 235
  3. ^ ZK-CDI - Yeoman-Haynes 250 (c / n 110). In: www.edcoatescollection.com. Retrieved June 29, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Peter Lewis: Yeoman YA-1 Cropmaster. The Wings Over New Zealand Aviation Forum, July 28, 2010, accessed June 29, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Taylor 1965, pp. 7-8