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Information About

Rockwell Thrush Commander




The Ayres Thrush, formerly the '''Snow S-2''', the '''Aero Commander Ag Commander''' and the '''Rockwell Thrush Commander''', is one of the most successful and long-lived Agricultural Aircraft in the world. Nearly 2,000 have been sold since the first example flew almost fifty years ago. Typical of agricultural aircraft, it is a single-seat low-wing monoplane of conventional taildragger configuration. Originally powered by a radial piston engine, most examples produced since the 1980s have been Turboprop -powered.

The Thrush was designed by Leland Snow and first flew in 1956 , and before long was being produced in series as the S-2 by the company he founded, Snow Aeronautical . In 1965 , the corporation and all 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.

Ayres also attempted to market a militarised version as the Ayres Vigilante, intended for the Close Support role, but this failed to attract customers.


VARIANTS


Snow Aeronautical



Aero Commander

  • S-2D Ag Commander



Rockwell

  • Thrush Commander 600

  • Thrush Commander 800 - powered by Wright R-1300



Ayres

  • S-2R 1340 - equivalent to Thrush Commander 600

  • S-2R 1820 or '''Bull Thrush'''

  • Pezetel Thrush - powered by PZL-3

  • S-2R-T - turboprop powered versions equipped with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engines:

  • --- S-2R-T11

  • --- S-2R-T15

  • --- S-2R-T34

  • --- S-2R-T65 - "Narcotics Eradication Delivery System" for the US State Department


  • S-2R-G - turboprop powered versions equipped with AlliedSignal TPE331 engines:

  • --- S-2R-G6

  • --- S-2R-G10



SPECIFICATIONS (THRUSH COMMANDER 600)


General characteristics

  • Crew: one pilot

  • Capacity: 370 US gal (1,514 l) or 3,270 lb (1,487 kg) of chemicals

  • Length: 29 ft 5 in (8.95 m)

  • Wingspan: 44 ft 4 in (13.51 m)

  • Height: 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m)

  • Wing area: 326 ft² (30.3 m²)

  • Empty: 3,700 lb (1,678 kg)

  • Loaded: lb ( kg)

  • Maximum takeoff: 6,000 lb (2,720 kg)

  • Powerplant: 1x Pratt & Whitney R-1340 , 600 hp (450 kW)



Performance

  • Maximum speed: 140 mph (225 km/h)

  • Range: 405 miles (648 km)

  • Service ceiling: ft ( m)

  • Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (225 m/min)

  • Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)

  • Power/Mass: hp/lb ( kW/kg)



RELATED CONTENT

Related development:
Snow S-1

Comparable aircraft:

PAC Cresco
PAC Fletcher

Designation sequence:
S-1 -
S-2