Luigi Pellarini was born in 1913 at Tarcento,
in north-east Italy. He was the son of Alessandro Pellarini and
Carolina, nee Tosolini. Alessandro and his two brothers Cesare and Augusto specialised
in building industrial chimneys – outlets for furnaces, thirty or forty metres
high. Alessandro was killed during World War I and Luigi’s family – mother and
three sisters – were supported, emotionally and financially, by the remaining
brothers and their sister Pompeia.
As befits their famous first names, the
family did quite well in the post-war years. They lived near Paris, in France.
From the age of seven, Luigi was educated at a private college in Cividale,
Italy, then at the Istituto Tecnico Rossi in Vicenza (one of a number of ‘centres
of excellence’ created during the Fascist era to turn out engineers for the
rapid industrial development of Italy). He initially graduated as an electrical
engineer, but in the last year of his course he developed a strong interest in aeroplanes
and, with the assistance and encouragement of his uncles went to Paris to do a
three year post graduate course at the French Aeronautical Institute.
He returned to Italy
in 1935 began work for Savoia-Marchetti then in Sesto Calende on Lake Maggiore,
near Milan. The firm was famous for its flying boats,
notably the amazingly innovative S.55 of 1922. The Savoia-Marchetti
three-engined aircraft of the 1930s were among the most successful Italian
military aircraft. After the fall of the Fascist regime in Italy in 1943, the
firm was renamed SIAI-Marchetti in 1943 and was purchased by the aerospace firm
Augusta in 1983.
In 1936 he was conscripted, but after 6
months he was discharged due to a gastric ulcer. He returned to Savoia, but Evangelisti
says that after working at Savoia, he was also involved with the Magni
aeronautical company in Taliedo. Here he would have collaborated with Alberto
Jona, and would have had a great experience of 
innovative
thinking. Alberto Jona’s J.6 was a sesquiplane – a biplane which has a lower
wing much smaller than the upper wing. Uniquely, the whole upper wing of the
J.6 (left) tilted from side to side. This wing could tilt up to ten degrees,
effectively enabling banking forces to occur while the fuselage of the aircraft
remained vertical. This amazing concept obviously worked: the aircraft was used
until it was ‘lost’ after Italy’s surrender in 1943.
He married his wife Lina in July 1939 in
Sesto Calende, where he met her while working for Siai-Marchetti. Soon after
this he went to work at Bracciano, on the lake of the same name, near Rome, in
an organisation which specialised in the repairs and modifications of
hydroplanes. Frank believes that at this time he got the idea – inspired by
planes that went on water – of creating a plane that went by road.
In 1940 he went to SAIMAN (Società Anonima
Industrie Meccaniche Aeronautiche Navali) at the Lido of Rome where he worked
with engineer Mario Bottini. Luigi maintained that he had learnt a lot from
this period of employment. SAIMAN’s main product was a series of light
aircraft, of which the most significant was the Saiman 202M trainer. It is
thought that 365 of the military version were built, but records of the Saiman
factory were destroyed at the end of the war.
Amazingly, in the chaos of post-war Italy,
the thirty-year old Luigi was able to gather the resources needed to begin the innovative
project of producing a flying automobile. The uncles assisted in finding
partners to develop Luigi’s idea. Frank has no proof that the uncles contributed
financially, but this may well have been the case.
The first aircraft, the PL-1 Aerauto, was
probably built in late 1944. The prototype was destroyed by the Allies when
they reached Milan, as aeroplane construction was prohibited, but few records
survive
Improved versions, the PL-2 and PL-3
followed. Manufacture was carried out by Carrozzeria Colli, whose
specialty was the use of aluminum, and they had made a great reputation for
supplying special bodies for Italian luxury cars. Though they clearly lost
money on the venture, it was wonderful publicity for them!
Frank was told that the PL-3 Aerauto was
stored on the property of Count Frova, scion of an Italian noble family that
manufactures the liquor ‘Millefiori Cucchi’, with whom Luigi was associated,
but there has been no recent confirmation of this.
The single-seat Aeronova AER 1 was made by Aeronova
Costruzioni Aeronautiche which, (according to the authoritative website
chezpeps.free.fr) was specially established to manufacture this Pellarini-designed
aircraft. it was powered by a Lycoming flat-four engine, and the prototype made
its first flight on May 9,1948.
Luigi, naturally, would have preferred the
designation PL-4.
Carrozzeria Colli were again involved in construction of the PL-5C, supported by
finance from a specially formed group, Aerauto SpA. Two aircraft were
built, probably at the disused airport of Taliedo, near Milan. Flight records
for the previous aircraft are hard to find, but the two-seat PL-5c was
successfully flown on many occasions. An 85 horsepower (63 kw) Continental
engine gave quite good performance as listed in the 1951 Jane’s All the
Worlds Aircraft: maximum speed: 180 km/h (112 mph); cruise speed: 160 km/h
(99 mph); range: 800 km (497 miles); service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft); rate
of climb: 2.72 m/s (535 ft/min). Wingspan was about 10 metres, and for road use
the wings were folded to give a width of 2.2 metres.
Luigi claimed that the two-seater PL-5C had flown for 250
hours and driven 8000 kilometres on the road.
The propeller provided the motive power on
land as well as in the air, and as can be seen by the drawings on the next
page, was made safe by the closing of the wings. Still, it has problems in
terms of noise and efficiency. Most modern flying cars have separate drives for
the wheels, with consequent weight penalty.
The vehicle on the road could not meet the
necessary standards for registration, and the project lapsed. However, these
vehicles did fly, as is proven by a 1947 Pathé newsreel film. The commentary proclaimed a road speed of 120 mph
(nearly 200 km/hr) and an air speed of 200 mph (320 km/hr). The claims seem to
be somewhat optimistic, especially the road speed, but the Pathé newsreel certainly demonstrates that the
vehicle had a good turn of speed on the road. The nose wheel was used for
steering. Large doors on each side provided comfortable access.
The patent drawing below shows how the wings
folded backwards and were attached to the ends of the tailplane, thus forming a
guard to the pusher propeller. The illustration below is based on the patent
application documents.
Registered as I-AUTO, the aircraft first flew
in 1949. Between Christmas Day 1949 and early January, 1950 it undertook a tour
of Italy, covering 4000 kilometres. Only 800 kilometres were in the air,
largely because of bad winter weather,
The
patent drawings for the folding wing.
It seems that there was discord, and the
project lapsed. The ‘aerauto’ idea was seen to be a commercial failure.
However, the PL‑5 had a great deal of publicity; Luigi apparently
expressed a desire to continue production elsewhere, and received several
offers, including one from Burundi! But the letter that appealed most came from
Australia, from Doug Fawcett at Bankstown airport, Sydney.
Doug Fawcett’s life in aviation was amazing.
Born in London in 1922, he emigrated to
Australia with his family. By age 8, he was selling sweets to people who came
to Mascot airfield, (now Sydney Kingsford-Smith airport) to look at the
aircraft. His mother had set up the ‘Aero Tea Rooms’ at the gates to Mascot
airfield, and the family also had a kiosk near the runway area. Doug’s autobiography
is full of anecdotes about the famous aviators of the time.
His highest school educational qualification
was passing the year 6 exam. At age 14, he obtained an apprenticeship with New
England Airways, and on the outbreak of World War II joined the RAAF as
mechanic. He was certainly very skilled, and because of his expertise, had a
remarkable wartime career. At the end of the war he became involved in
converting transport and light aircraft for civilian use. A particular triumph
was the sale of a Douglas DC-5, one of only 12 built, to the fledgling and
almost illegal Israeli air force.
In 1947 he established Fawcett aviation in
Hangar 276, Bankstown. His business prospered and was an important part of the amazing
growth of aviation in Australia, especially in Bankstown. The extensive wartime
facilities were made available, at low rentals, to the new enterprises, and over
half the new aircraft types produced in Australia over the next quarter of a
century were designed and built at Bankstown.
Fawcett Aviation diversified quickly. In 1950
the Illawarra Flying School was acquired. Lockheed Lodestars and other war
surplus aircraft were refurbished and used as charter aircraft. Some Mustang
fighters were used as target tugs and there was also a skywriting operation. It
was at this exciting time that Fawcett read of Luigi’s work and suggested that
he should come to Australia.
As was usual at the time, Luigi, as a famous
arrival in Australia, was interviewed by the Australian press when his ship
arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia, on 5 December 1952. This interview was
printed in a number of newspapers throughout Australia, so his arrival had good
publicity. He showed pictures of his flying automobiles and hoped to
manufacture them in Australia. He thought they would be very suitable for
Australian use. He said that he had been invited to
Australia by his cousin Oreste (Tosolini), of the Sydney suburb of Horsley Park,
obviously a relative of his mother (see page 1).
Frank Pellarini’s
archives are illuminating. They indicate that Luigi and Fawcett originally
intended to build the Aerauto, but the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA)
denied permission as they did not recognise Luigi’s qualifications.
According to Frank’s archive, it was decided
to first build a conventional aircraft to obtain design approval more easily.
The result was the Fawcett 120. Frank says that Luigi was very much involved in
the actual construction, but despite Luigi’s protests, it was called Fawcett
120 rather than PL-6, allegedly to facilitate DCA approval, but it is hard to
imagine Doug Fawcett giving much credit to others!
The Fawcett 120, an all-metal aircraft of
modern design, was intended as a trainer for the Illawarra Flying School. Only
the prototype was built. Construction drawings, and the aircraft itself, are
held by the Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown.
The picture (from the Ed Coates collection) shows the aircraft in
its original form with a 130 horsepower Gipsy Major engine. (see also page 28: there is no evidence that Luigi was
involved in the later modifications).
Fawcett and Pellarini were both robust
characters, and it seems likely that there were personality clashes and that
the co-operation came to an abrupt end. Fawcett mentions Pellarini only once in
his autobiography, as being ‘in charge of the project’. However, aviation
historians in Australia unanimously regard Luigi as the ‘designer’ of the
Fawcett 120, which first flew on November 11, 1953. Luigi also obviously
regarded it as one of his designs: the table at the start of this booklet lists
the Fawcett as PL-6.
Towards the end of 1954 Luigi planned to
return to Italy and booked a ship passage, but shortly before departure he was
contacted by Kingsford Smith Aviation Service, of Bankstown, with a view to
building a crop duster to compete with the Cessna Agwagon, considered to be a
very unsatisfactory plane from efficiency and safety points of view. Also,
restrictions on spending US dollars meant that maybe aircraft could be
economically produced in Australia.
Incidentally, Kingsford-Smith Aviation
Service has no connection with Charles Kingsford-Smith or his family – it was
just another adventurous Bankstown aviation organisation.
Luigi Pellarini began work on this dedicated agricultural aircraft
during the early 1950s. The PL-7 Tanker, which first flew on 5 September 1955,
set the pattern for future designs: a fuselage pod, containing engine, hopper,
pilot and controls supported thick rectangular wings, and two separate tail
booms were fitted to the upper wing. The idea was that the hopper could be
filled from behind the aircraft, and the fertilizer would not contaminate the
rear fuselage, a problem with traditional aircraft. (The picture shows the
PL-12 being loaded).
Another special feature was the upward
slant on the lower surfaces of the wingtips, which induced vorticies which
spread the fertiliser, chemicals or seeds evenly over a wide area. With the
later PL-12 Transfield reported proudly on experiments conducted by the
University of Aukland showing that ‘the aircraft had
more uniform distribution of chemical and a 50 per cent wider swath than any
other agricultural plane flying in that country’. The wingtip feature is
typical of many agricultural aircraft, but the sesquiplane configuration made
the process far more effective than was the case 
with monoplanes.
The diagram showing
the effect of wingtip vortices is from a video on the Transfield website,
section 3 ‘Transfield Takes Off.
The aircraft was built cheaply: the engine
was a 400 hp (298kw) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engine as used in the wartime
Avro Anson. It flew well. Slightly smaller than the PL-11 (see page 19), it could carry nearly a tonne of cargo.
Cruising speed was 179 km/hr, slower than the PL-11 but faster than the Pl-12. Keith
Robey, writing in Aircraft magazine in November 1965, praised its flying
characteristics, ‘rather like an overgrown Tiger Moth’, with appropriate
performance.
The new
design was not proceeded with: a few years later KSAS developed the Yeoman
Cropmaster, made more simply by converting wartime Wackett trainers.
Picture from http://atsconsultancy.com.au/demo/Aeropidia_info/category/innerplanes
.
The inventor of the rotary lawn mower, Mervyn
Victor Richardson, was very successful and wealthy by the late 1950s, and
decided to carry out an ambition he had had for years – to manufacture
aircraft. Luigi Pellarini designed the rather elegant Victa R.2 (above) which
was the first aircraft to be considered for production by Victa.
The four-seater R.2 was powered by a 134kw (180hp) Lycoming engine
and cruised comfortably at 275 km/hr, 171 mph. The only prototype flew in
February 1961, but by April the flying tests ceased, as Victa had decided to
build the simpler Airtourer. It was slower, had a smaller engine, and was
considerably cheaper. About 250 Airtourers and variants were produced in
Australia and New Zealand, the last CT-4 training aircraft being made in 2005.
The R.2, otherwise probably known as the PL-10, is now in the care
of the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society and is presently situated in its
Hall of Fame gallery, undergoing restoration. There was a later development,
the Transfield PL-13, but work did not reach the stage where flight was likely,
and apart from some drawings, we know nothing of it.
Former aviation engineer Dave Johnston
reports having seen vestiges of another, hitherto unrecorded aircraft. He was
told that it was a Pellarini project. It was intended to make a prototype of a
utility aircraft that could be produced with minimum tooling. The material was
stored in a shelving area which acted as a divider for hangar 276, which Doug Fawcett
shared with other businesses.
The remains consisted of a fuselage section
and two tail booms. The fuselage was a simple rectangular box. On either side
were three windows and a large door. It was not clear whether the engine was
intended to go at the front or the back of this fuselage section, but a high
wing connection was obviously intended to support twin tail booms, of rhombus
section. The folded angular modules would be far easier to create than rounded
shapes.
Dave first saw these items in about 1973,
and they had obviously been there for some years at that time. He remembers
that they remained in that storage area for some years after 1973, but their
final disposition is not known.
Luigi was approached by the New Zealander
‘Snow’ Bennet with an offer to continue the development of his agricultural
aircraft, and so he designed the PL-9. But before we continue this story, we
need to mention the PL-8.
Though it was never completed, the basic
framework of this general-purpose aircraft is in storage at the Australian Army
Flying Museum, located in Oakey, Queensland.
The remains certainly are from the ‘Air Jeep’ which
is almost certainly otherwise known as the Airsedan, and the general shape of
the air craft shows a design similarity to the Aerautos and also to the SIAI-Marchetti
FN.333 Riviera imported by Transavia in 1964.
There is considerable disagreement about when it was
built: Was it begun in the 1950s or in the 1970s? Basically, however, the
exhibit is certainly a Pellarini design, and may have been an early attempt at
building an aircraft whose design contributed considerably to the Airtruck /
Airtruk series. It is sometimes identified as the PL-13. The fact that more information
is needed is itself evidence of the way that during the post-war decades there
were many daring attempts to produce new aircraft that were never properly
documented, and were the result of the work of dedicated enthusiasts.
One of the better documented activities
undertaken by Luigi was assistance in converting this Bristol Freighter to
agricultural work, principally superphosphate. The aircraft, registered VH-AAH,
and been bought by the NSW firm Aerial Agriculture Pty Ltd from the French air
service, Air Vietnam. Luigi was involved in constructing a removable steel
hoper that could hold six tons of fertiliser, and holes were cut in the
aircraft to enable distribution. The airframe had to be specially strengthened
around these holes. This was a very adventurous project and the aircraft
performed quite well for about a year before it was destroyed in an accident.
The picture is from Aerial Agriculture in Australia.
As mentioned on page 13, Luigi began
designing the PL-9 for the specially formed Bennett Aviation company in New
Zealand.
‘Snow’ Bennett was
an interesting character: a wonderful mechanic rather than an academic engineer,
a hard worker who had the ability to enthuse his employees.
One aviation chat board has a comment that he
had ‘deep pockets and short arms’, but certainly in taking on such a big
project he was demonstrating considerable courage.
The design developed into the PL-11 when the
owner of the company purchased a number of ex RNZAF Harvard trainers and the
plan was to use as many parts from these as possible. ‘Engines, cowlings,
wheels, shock absorbers, windscreen parts and hydraulic system parts were all
included’. The result was a very odd-looking machine! It figures often in
websites listing the ugliest aircraft ever built, but flying reports indicate
that it handled well, with few vices.
Harvard ‘graveyard’. From Wings over New
Zealand website.
A major development from the PL-7 was the
repositioning of the pilot cockpit, which was moved to a position above and
slightly in front of the wing. This gave the pilot an excellent field of vision
for landing and general maneuvering. It also was safer for the pilot: in an
orthodox aeroplane, the pilot was behind the engine, and could easily be
crushed in a crash.
Work
began in earnest in late 1957 and by October 1959 all major work had been
completed. The aircraft was then disassembled at the airport and re-assembled
upside down at a workshop in the town.
This
was effectively the first modern commercial aircraft to be built in New
Zealand. Because it was a rather radical design the Civil Aviation Department
were rigorous in their testing. The wings and tail components were loaded with
bags of cement as part of the static load requirements, and, for example, the
aircraft was taxied at speed over railway sleepers.
First
flight occurred on 27 April 1960, with short hops, mainly to examine the
behaviour of the tail booms. On 2 August, the newly registered ZK-BPV flew for
35 minutes with ‘Johnny’ Johnstone at the controls.
By
1961 Luigi had left the project and Geoff Young took over the design work in
1962. Geoff found the project in some disarray. Several components had to be
redesigned and he took on this work. In fact the 1965 Janes All the World’s
aircraft listed Geoff as the aircraft designer.
Geoff
says that Luigi was a genius, in that he could come up with amazing original
solutions to difficult engineering problems. But he was not a good organiser
and manager, and his frequent changes made a logical development difficult.
Geoff has been a big help in writing this booklet.
Waitomo
Aircraft had been formed to continue development. Considerable interest had
been shown in the aircraft and the company started on component manufacture. Things
were looking good, but Jack Worthington crashed ZK-BPV at Ngapaenga on 8
October 1963. The aircraft was found not to be at fault and its unusual design
probably saved Worthington's life.
Northern
Air Services had sold out to Rural Aviation and with Geoff Young leaving at the
end of 1964 the testing programme was taken on by Rex Aviation (NZ) Ltd. A
second aircraft, ZK-CKE, with minor changes, was test flown by Jack Worthington
on 9 February 1965. Again, it was thoroughly tested and gained a Certificate of
Type Approval on 17 February 1966. Leased to Rural Aviation (1963) Ltd, it was
based in Te Kuiti, flown by Don Erceg, and at Taumarunui with pilot Peter Meek.
Commercial
Aircraft Company (NZ) Ltd was formed in September 1966, planning to put the
Airtruck into production at Ardmore. But an attempt to raise capital later in
the year failed, mainly because of a serious downturn in wool receipts: the
aerial agriculture industry suffered a serious slump.
In
1967 ZK-CKE was leased to Barr Bros Ltd and within a few weeks was written off
at Mangakaramea, taking the life of Dick Tatham on 1 March 1967. For the second
time, the accident cause was no fault of the aircraft.
The
two aircraft had flown a combined total of over 1000 hours.
Franco
Belgiorno-Nettis was an Italian emigrant
businessman who came to Australia after the second Word War. He founded the
Transfield corporation in 1956, entering partnership with Carlo Salteri.
This organisation was responsible for
erecting much of the national electricity ‘grid’ of high-tension wires. This
was a major project of the period 1955 to 1970, and completely changed the way
electricity was generated. Before this time, coal was brought to the big power
stations in cities such as Sydney, including the power station in which the
Powerhouse Museum is located. But it was far more economical to send the
electricity from new power stations near the coal mines and so the big power
stations in Sydney were abandoned. Grid electricity became available throughout
the country.
It seems that Luigi was about to return to Italy when he met Franco
Belgiorno-Nettis, He used his persuasive skills to such success that in 1964
Transfield announced that they would build a factory
and airstrip at the outer Sydney suburb of Seven Hills (below, picture from
Cresciani’s Transfield, the First Fifty Years) and construct the
Airtruk. (As Bennet had ownership of the name ‘Airtruck’, the Transfield
aircraft was known as the
Airtruk, leaving out the ‘c’).
Luigi was appointed managing director for a three-year contract. His
son Frank says that from the outset there was friction between his father and Carlo
Salteri. Luigi had sought a 50/50 partnership but the final arrangement for
Transavia was that Luigi, Belgiorno-Nettis and Salteri each had a third of the
shares.
This table
compares the PL-12 to the PL-11:
|
Model
|
PL 11 Airtruck
|
PL 12 Airtruk
|
|
Engine
|
410kW (550hp) Pratt and Whitney 9 cylinder radial
|
212kW (285hp) Continental
6 cylinder horizontally opposed
|
|
Wing
Span
|
14.63m 48ft 0in
|
11.98m 39ft 3in
|
|
Length
|
7.82m 25ft 8in
|
6.35m 20ft 10in
|
|
Height
|
3.30m 10ft 10in
|
2.79m 9ft 2in
|
|
Wing
Area
|
34.3sq m 369sq ft
|
23.8sq m 256 sq ft
|
|
Weight
Empty
|
1 678kg 3 700lb
|
839kg 1 850lb
|
|
Weight
Loaded
|
3 266kg 7 200lb
|
1 855kg 4 090lb
|
|
Max
Speed
|
264km/h 164mph
|
191km/h 120mph
|
|
Cruising
Speed
|
200km/h 124mph
|
176km 107mph
|
|
Initial
Climb
|
546m/min 1800ft/min
|
183m/min 600ft/min
|
|
Range
|
724km 450mile
|
611km 380mile
|
For the first time in the development of
the agricultural aircraft series, it was not necessary to use second-hand or
obsolete parts, and the result was a far more compact machine.
The key points are that the PL-12 was
smaller and only half the weight of the PL-11. Its engine was far smaller. It
was slower, yet it could carry a full tonne of cargo. The newer engine was far
more reliable and economical.
But again, his backers judged that while Luigi
was a design genius, he was not a good manager. When his three years expired in
1964 the American engineer Gilbert Forrester became Managing
Director. He
was an American, qualified as an aeronautical engineer, and an expert in the
automation of construction methods.
It seems
that Luigi continued to assist the Airtruk project, even though a serious
dispute arose when Transfield refused to pay royalties to Luigi for the use of
his design.
Transfield
said that as the enterprise continually ran at a loss, the payment could not be
made. After a few years, a settlement was reached.
The first prototype Airtruk was
deliberately tested to destruction on the ground to ensure structural strength
and safety.
The second prototype (VH-TRN, above)
flew for the first time on 15 April 1965 from Bankstown Airport.
The pilot was New Zealander Neil
Johnston, who had flown the PL-11 Airtrucks. Incidentally the prototype
remained in use until withdrawn on 3 March 1969, when it was refurbished
and given to the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo. (picture: MAAS
Museum)
The test flights were
very encouraging. Production began in 1966, The first sale (five aircraft) was
made to the New Zealand firm Barr Bros, who had used the PL-11. Franco
Belgiorno-Nettis rejoiced:
I have infinite
trust in the capacity of my people. We could send a rocket to the moon - or
make a satellite. We have already made a plane, the Airtruk, which looks like a
baby elephant. But it will revolutionise crop-dusting. Our designer, Luigi
Pellarini, is a genius. He even has plans for a supersonic
aircraft. (This is relevant to
his later work, page 32ff).
The new aircraft created huge interest. The in-house journal New
Transfielder proudly reported:
A letter from Angola
recently requested distribution rights for the Transavia Airtruk for Portuguese
West Africa; one from Hawaii discussed the possibility of replacing an existing
agricultural aircraft fleet with Airtruks; from Manila came a letter requesting
rights to manufacture the Airtruk in the Philippines — and these were just
three of hundreds of similar letters from all over the
world, which have arrived at Transfield House since the announcement of the
revolutionary plane's first flight. Only nine months from the drawing board,
the Airtruk flew for the first time in April, when pressmen, aviation
personalities saw it take off after a 60-yard run. It has remarkable
performance and carrying capacity compared to any other competitive aircraft.
The only other plane with a similar
performance and capacity costs more than twice as much. Because of its
versatility, the Airtruk will be able to bring new agricultural methods to many
countries. It can be used for top dressing, crop dusting, seeding, spraying,
pest and weed destroying and many other services. With some modification, it
can also become a fast cargo carrier.
With a skilled operator, the Airtruk
will spread up to 80 tons of fertiliser a day. It can take off with another
full load less than 50 seconds after touching down. It will carry an
agricultural load of 2,000 pounds.
By 1 August 1969, 29 planes had been
produced; over 50 were in service by December 1973 and a total of 101 had been
built by June 1981.
On 1 August 1969 pilot Ron Williams took
the aircraft on a world tour, spending a great deal of time in Africa. A
possible sale of 70 aircraft to the Sudan would have really provided a huge
boost to the enterprise, but the Federal Government would not underwrite a
$2.76 million loan and the deal did not go through.
Throughout
the total production run, machines were never built ‘on spec’. They were made
in response to individual orders, and Luigi was, accordingly, despondent.
This PL-12 was a ‘star’ in the 1985 film Mad Max – Beyond Thunderdome. Set in a post-apocalyptic
Australia, the film features many strange-looking improvised road vehicles. The
PL-12 fitted in well!
Production continued for more than 20
years, with several versions of the basic design. The original PL12 was
supplemented by the PL12U (utility) with a five-passenger cabin (at least 10
built).
Some of these were weaponized aircraft
supplied to Thailand for counter-insurgency work.
Others included the PL12M300, T-300
(‘Skyfarmer’), T-300A and T-320, a total of 117 aircraft. Some were used for
transport aircraft or aerial ambulances. About 75% of the total production was
exported – largely to New Zealand, but also to South Africa, Kenya, Thailand,
Malaysia, Denmark, Taiwan, China and Yugoslavia. Eight are still on the Australian
VH- register, (see page 32) and
it is interesting that a lot of them seem to have been reimported. At the
outset, Transavia was disappointed with the low proportion of Australian sales.
The enterprise never was profitable, and
the Salteri family were particularly unhappy. Internal tensions within the
group also had a bearing on the decision to cease production, the last aircraft
being made in 1993.
Unbuilt projects,
when the company was closed down in 1993, included the T-550, to be fitted with
a turbo prop engine and the M-300 military support aircraft, a further
development of the PL 12U ‘Bushranger’.
The
politics of large organisations are labyrinthine, and in Transfield this was
complicated by discord between the Salteri and Belgiorno families, which
eventually led to the dissolution or the partnership in 1995. But in summary,
Franco was always more supportive than Carlo, and more willing to absorb the
losses.
This ‘ambulance’
version (below) is actually an unflown aircraft, made up from surplus parts by
Transavia at the end of the production and given to the Australian Aviation Museum, Bankstown.
Construction began in the mid-60s of a new light
aircraft. It is not certain how far the actual development progressed, and
there is no trace of any physical remnants of this aircraft.
Once again, Don Bennet’s paper is the best source for information
about this aircraft.
The 1966 Jane’s All the Worlds Aircraft has
diagrams of a Transavia PL-13, said to be a “a four seat light aircraft derived
from one of Mr Pellarini’s earlier designs, the R. 2, (above)of which a
prototype was built by Victa Ltd. and flight tested in 1961.
The PL-13 is seen in the sketches on the left. Its resemblance to
the R.2 is obvious. The new aircraft had a longer fuselage but otherwise was of
similar dimensions. The swept-back wingtips are another interesting feature.
Australia does not have a very good record regarding the
encouragement of locally-built aircraft. From the outset of the program
Transavia complained about delays in the certification process and felt that
unnecessary restrictions were placed on the airfield that adjoined the Seven
Hills factory.
It was very difficult for Australian-made aircraft to compete with
overseas imports, particularly those from the United States, because the
production runs were longer, so in 1966 four organisations appealed to the
Australian Tariff board to give tariff protection to their aircraft. These were
Transfield, Victa aircraft, Yeoman aircraft and Sasin aircraft of Goulburn.
Victa aircraft was a subsidiary of the famous mower producing
company. Mervyn Victor Richardson, who designed and produced the Victa mower,
became very wealthy. He was always an aircraft enthusiast: he often flew his
small amphibian VH-ARB from his home at Palm Beach to his factory at Bankstown.
The Victa Airtourer was designed by Henry Millicer, a Polish-born engineer,
who, like Luigi, had emigrated to Australia after World War II. 168 were built
in Australia. (See also the discussion of the Victa R.2 on page 12)
Yeoman aircraft, a subsidiary of Kingsford-Smith Air Service of
Bankstown, modified Wackett trainers to produce the Yeoman Cropmaster
agricultural aircraft, of which 21 were built. Sasin aircraft, of Goulburn NSW,
produced an agricultural aircraft based on the Canadian DHC-2 Chipmunk. Only
three were made.
The aircraft firms had no success in seeking government assistance, even
though there was evidence that the overseas aircraft manufacturers were cutting
prices so as to compete unfairly with the local manufacturers. Only Transavia
continued in production after the appeal for protection was rejected in February
1967. To compete with the Cessna Agwagon, Transavia had to reduce its price by
$6 000. Airtrucks were produced until 1993. Victa aircraft, incidentally, were
later produced in New Zealand, with considerable success. Eventually 37 CT-4
Victa variants were sold to the RAAF as basic trainers, and they stayed in
service until 1992.
As well as working with Transavia, Luigi
had other clients. One project involved working with the Italian manufacturer
Stelio Frati in the early 1960s. He assisted Frati in changing his aircraft
from wood / metal mixed construction to all-metal construction. Luigi’s
Australian design and consultancy enterprise, Dynaplane, was closed in 1980, but
he certainly continued his involvement with aircraft design long after this.
There is a very credible story that World
Championship driver Jack Brabham was advised by Luigi in the 1960s on the shape
of his cars. Luigi’s aerodynamic skills were used to help to keep the vehicle
as strongly as possible on the ground!
Whatever the truth of this, the Herald of 28 March 1976
told of a plan for the Brabham organisation to build a new aircraft. Reg
Brabham, Jack’s cousin, had set up a factory at Girraween to build a
delta-winged seven-seater aircraft, and it would be the precursor to a far
larger aircraft. Brabham and his associates had patents on the design, in
various sizes. The 63-year-old Luigi was very confident. The Brabhams said that
they had so far spent $120,000 on the project, but little more was heard of it.
The only illustration that can be found is above; it is from a badly
photocopied newspaper article, but the radical design shape can be
distinguished.
Taken from The Output
of Luigi Pellarini – an Innovative Aircraft Designer, by D.G. Cameron,
Queensland Air Museum, Brisbane: these drawings show an interesting ‘family
resemblance’.
There are rumors that there might be some
surviving Italian Aerautos or parts thereof, but no definite information.ve all
been destroyed.
In Australia the picture is a little better.
The Fawcett 120, regarded by Luigi as the PL-6, has been preserved at the
Australian Aviation Museum, Bankstown.
It originally flew with the Gipsy Major
engine, but in 1989 it was re-engined with a 180 horsepower flat four Lycoming
engine, with a Hartzel constant-speed propeller. It is presented well, as can
be seen in the photo.
There is no evidence that Luigi was involved in the 1989 upgrade.
The sole prototype flew in 1955, and was
destroyed in a fire at Bankstown in January 1956.
Rumors of the survival of some fuselage
parts are unsubstantiated at this time.
This is being restored at the Historic
Aircraft Restoration Society’s facilities at Albion Park. (see page 12)
The two prototypes were destroyed in
crashes. The whereabouts of a number of parts is not known.
An incomplete list of surviving
aircraft:
In museums: OY-DVZ, sold to Denmark (left)
is now in the Danmarks Flymuseum, Stauning, Denmark, presently being restored. VH-TRN,
the second prototype (see page 20) is in the MAAS museum at Ultimo, Sydney, and is temporarily in
store at MDC Castle Hill; AAMB Bankstown has a complete aircraft made from
spare parts, an air ambulance (page 23); VH-EVY was in the collection of the
Wangaratta Air Museum, now closed; ZK-CWX, built 1968, used by Barr Bros and
others till 1988, is now in the Queensland Air Museum; ZK-CVB is in the Museum
of Transport and Technology (MOTAT), Auckland; an aircraft with registration
number 722 is held by the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and may be on display at
Hua Hin airfield, Thailand (left).
VH-TRQ is preserved at the Museo del Aire,
near Madrid, Spain. The picture is from fkugzeuginfo.net.
YU-BMH, said to be the last airworthy
Airtruk in Europe, was photographed at Zrenjanin / Ecka in Serbia on April 27,
2010. It had survived the commotion of the civil wars and was still registered
in 2014. Believed to be still extant, its whereabouts are unknown.
A pilot’s tale.
Dave Durham, of Bathurst Agricultural
Aviation still owns VH-TRH, now in its fiftieth year since construction. It is
presently in storage and when I phoned Dave to check on its present condition
he waxed lyrical about the Airtruk:
The Airtruk is a beautifully designed
aircraft. It could be maintained by a blacksmith in a third world country if he
could read the instruction manual.
Parts were quite standard. A particular
undercarriage bush probably saved my life, and it was a standard part bought
from Repco. I made over 20 take-offs on one job, but suddenly at high speed the
front wheel broke through a drainpipe that was just below the surface. The
wheel dug into the drain and suddenly the aircraft stood on it nose. But the
undercarriage did not break, and the aircraft settled back down without
flipping over There were several accidents involving undercarriage problems and
they were nearly always caused by faulty maintenance. People just used anything
for their airfield and the undercarriages took lots of punishment.
The Airtruk is incredibly maneuverable.
One farmer wanted me to spray a five-acre lot of serrated tussock, in a valley
surrounded by high hills. Even a helicopter pilot had refused to do the job. I
said I would do it on an hourly rate, not per acre, and the farmer agreed. He
would otherwise have to ride in on a horse and carry all his equipment and even
the water to mix the spray. The aircraft handled the job magnificently and the
farmer was delighted.
Seven other
Airtruks are still registered in Australia: It
seems that some have actually been re-imported into Australia!
Owners are
·
Donald Jones, Kempton, Tasmania: VH-AUL, built 1981, first registered in Australia 25 June 1984,
believed to be in storage.
·
Ian Bell, Tumbarumba NSW: VH-TRJ, built 1978, first registered in Australia 19 April 1989:
VH-TZV, built 1985, first registered in Australia 7 August 1985; VH-MYH, built
1979, first registered in Australia 29 November 1979. These are presently in
storage.
·
Hazair, Albury NSW: VH-TRT,
built 1978, first registered in Australia 10 April 1989, also VH-TRU, built
1983, first registered in Australia 9 January 1988, VH-TZZ, built 1981, first
registered in Australia 7 August 1986. Amazingly, -TRT and -TRU are still in
use. Hazair prefer to use them for spreading fertiliser, while more modern
aircraft are used for crop spraying.
In New Zealand ZK-CJU is registered to the
Waitomo Flying Service at Canterbury in the South Island, owned by Arthur
Ruddenklau.
As is seen
earlier (page 20) Luigi was
always interested in new ideas. Evangelisti describes many of his designs. In
his later life hat is clear that there was a two-way dialogue between Luigi and
entities such as De Havilland Aircraft, Lockheed Aircraft and NASA
And
the idea of the Aerauto did not die, either:
Thus Evangelisti:
Despite the interest displayed by these overseas companies nothing has been
produced principally because of Pellarini’s refusal to move overseas [to the
US]........ Another reason is that they involved a progress too rapid that
avoided the gradual phases of design development....
A
particular interest was extremely large aircraft….
Among the more
interesting developments......is the variable geometry wing.... which would
increase lift, reduce resistance and enable shorter take-off and landings.
This
particular solution was later introduced, autonomously, by General Aerodynamics
in its F.111. (Evangelisti)
...Later
he dedicated himself to the study of multi-fuselage aeroplanes for which he
obtained international patents....... In relation to these he communicated with
Boeing, Lockheed and NASA.......though these entities showed interest in
Pellarini’s ideas.... the concepts were considered too futuristic for the
current commercial environment.
This 800 seater aircraft design had 4 engines of 55,000 lb thrust
each. The Olympus engines that powered the Concorde were about 38,000 lb
thrust.
Evangelisti provides evidence of
engagement with McDonnell-Douglas in the years preceding their release of their
hypersonic design, which later became the Rockwell X-30, (below) developed in
the late 1980s. The aim was to have an aircraft that could fly from New York to
Sydney in two hours or less.
Whether his work was significant or not, it is clear that
Luigi’s vision was of this calibre, and we have to admire his energy as he approached
his ‘nineties’.
Luigi kept working until he suffered a
stroke in 2000. The time from then to his death on Boxing Day 2001 was
mercifully short. He would not have liked intellectual inactivity!
Luigi Pellarini (right) with Franco Belgiorno-Nettis, of the
Transfield Corporation, announcing plans to produce the PL-12, 1964. Picture
from Transfield, the First Fifty Years. 