Transland Ag-2 N8330H and N8831H

Transland Ag-2 N8830H and N8831H, 1st and 2nd prototypes. For some years after World War II the Transland Aircraft Company of Torrance, California, a division of Hi Shear Rivet Tool Co, converted surplus World War II aircraft, particularly trainers, for the crop-dusting role. After World War II Frederick E Weick took up teaching at the Texas A and M University and designed a monoplane crop-duster as a class-room project. In 1950, in conjunction with the college, he designed the Ercoupe, and also designed and developed the AG-1, which was built in Texas as the Piper Pawnee. The prototype Ag-2 (N8330H) was first flown at Torrance on 11 October 1956 with a 336 kw (450 hp) Pratt and Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine and test flying was performed on this machine. The second aircraft (N8331H) was fitted with a 448 kw (600 hp) Pratt and Whitney R-1340 to increase payload to 1, 588 kg (3, 500 lb), the Type Certificate being awarded on 24 June 1958. A third (N8232H) machine was built in 1959 in Panama. However, this aircraft crashed and was destroyed whilst spraying bananas in Panama on 5 August 1963. In 2003 N8330H was exported to New Zealand from Uruguay and is now in a private agricultural aircraft museum

Bananas Certificate Conjunction Converted Crashed Developed Ercoupe Exported Fitted Flown However Increase Junior Panama Particularly Pawnee Payload Pratt Prototypes Radial Rivet Shear Spraying Surplus Torrance Trainers Uruguay Wasp Weick Whilst Whitney

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