Fletcher FU-24

what is it?

The Fletcher FU-24 is an agricultural aircraft made in New Zealand. Being one of the first aircraft designed for aerial topdressing, the Fletcher has also been used for other aerial applications as a utility aircraft, and for sky diving.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 12.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 233 km/htop speed
• size 2,463 kgmax take-off weight
• built 297made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 72 years ago, in 1954.
• 🏎️Top speed is 1.8× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 12.8 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1954

introduced

1954

status

still flying

number built

297

role

agricultural aircraft

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Pacific Aerospace

engines

1× Textron Lycoming IO-720-A1A

length

9.7 m

wingspan

12.8 m

height

2.8 m

max take-off weight

2,463 kg

top speed

233 km/h

cruise speed

209 km/h

range

—

ceiling

4,877 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.