ptclark1960@gmail.com
Registered User
I have a 1945 J3 with the ONG crop dusting mod (C85, alum spars and prop) and am searching for tank, dispersal system ideas, pictures or equipment. Any input is appreciated!
J3 cropduster?
- Thread starter ptclark1960@gmail.com
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ptclark1960@gmail.com
Registered User
Looks like a couple of Micronairs fed by an aluminum tank mounted to the front seat frame would spray a few acres OK. Keeping the whole thing within W&B. Emergency dump provisions might pose some more thinking, but if you’re not in a restricted weight mode it may not be necessary. Winter weather is giving me too much time to think up projects.
Cub Special Ed
Registered User
MT/SD
Morris Riggin in South Dakota has all the old Sorenson stuff. Might give him a call. Riggin Flight Service
WhiskeyMike
MEMBER
West Boxford MA
We had numerous J-3's converted from Ag to Banner towing, though most were 135 and 150HP. Typical install was the Sorenson belly tank. We left them behind with the booms and pumps in Arkansas and throughout the Mississippi delta when we brought the planes home to Boston. With an 85HP you might want to install a smaller tank in the rear seat area. Keep in mind though, that in the event of a crash you become sandwiched between the tank and engine. A small belly tank might be a better option. That's partly why Piper developed the Pawnee. I specifically remember a PA-18A that crashed and the pilot died from traumatic shock when squeezed between the factory spray tank and the engine. You might also want to avoid chemicals in the cockpit. One of the J-3 sprayers we bought in Arkansas had a purple rudder-which we later found out was to alert people on the ground to its load of 2-4-D. Just my 2 cents on a cold snowy night.
Cub Special Ed
Registered User
MT/SD
Not just a sandwich, but a burned one if you hit something hard enough with that fuel tank up front! That was why them old boys turned a j3 into what they called a cutback cub. Put fuel tank over pilots head instead of up front. The pa11 sure was a blessing to sprayers everywhere.
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HalfTonChamp
FRIEND
palmer arkansas
The 'cutback duster' was a fairly common ag aircraft here in Arkansas for fertilizing rice and flying fish food on ponds. The operators I knew went through them every winter because of the corrosive nature of the product. One operator I knew ran 180 hp without electrical system. They set them up to start easy by hand. Have the load delivered to the remote strip and short ferry to fields. The Ag Aviation museum in Mississippi is probably a good resource for your search. I'm vague on anything specific about it.
180Marty
MEMBER
Paullina, Ia
My Dad bought one out of Arkansas in 1964 and used it in Virginia. It had a 125 hp O-290. He sprayed liquid such as Toxaphene and DDT, 245-T on pine forest, and could seed rye into soybeans with a spreader. I did a little mixing in a 55 gallon barrel when I was about 9 yrs old.
When i purchased my j-3 it came with a 60 gallon sorenson belly tank, pump and mount. As a kid working for a crop sprayer we put 40 gallons of water in the 85 j-3 and 60 in the 95 supercub. If you get any where close to nw minnesota this summer you can take them home with you.
When i purchased my j-3 it came with a 60 gallon sorenson belly tank, pump and mount. As a kid working for a crop sprayer we put 40 gallons of water in the 85 j-3 and 60 in the 95 supercub. If you get any where close to nw minnesota this summer you can take them home with you. Sorry j-3 stays with me.
ptclark1960@gmail.com
Registered User
J3 cropduster
I might make the trip just to get it. Could you get some detailed information at 620-716-1691? Curious if this would fit in a 170B to transport? Thanks!
I might make the trip just to get it. Could you get some detailed information at 620-716-1691? Curious if this would fit in a 170B to transport? Thanks!
