21 Years of Thrusters: part 3
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21 Years of Thrusters: part 3 |
| Thruster Operator Support Group | |
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The Thruster Operator Support Group is celebrating 21 years of Thruster history and the contribution of this remarkable ultralight series as the workhorse of Australian ultralight aviation over so many years.
Tony Hayes is the author and Roy Gilby is responsible for the desktop publishing and layout of the original print publication. The Web document is contained in three html pages:
1. A brief history of the marque's evolution and chronology from 1982 — 1990
2. Thruster chronology — 1991 onwards
3. The Thruster main models [with photographs]
Alas I have mislead you! After crowing that this would be the FIRST complete photographic record of Thruster main types – I am still four short! But I guess 40 is not too bad and I WILL get the rest and have left space for them.
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Before the Thruster The Thruster evolved directly from the Condor, Avenger and Stolero. This is the Stolero Prototype. | 
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| Here are photos of two of them with the Avenger missing unfortunately Foreground is a Stolero. The Condor in the background is thought to show the original pod which then went on to be used in the prototype and production single seaters. | 
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| T1 Prototype This is the first flight of any Thruster. Only one of these were built. Compare this photo with that showing the aircraft in its present restored condition, and operated from Watts Bridge, south-east Queensland. In this shot the Prototype was being readied for its first flight. | 
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| T83 The first production Thruster of which 49 were built. 29’6” wing span. This one was the Prototype Sr No. 1001. | 
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| T84A Probably only one of these was built and the aircraft (or a good photo of it) have still to be located. 25’6” wing span. This photo came from a Factory advertising leaflet. | 
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| T84BG Maybe four of these were built. They had 25’6” wing span, lower wing battens and the G type tail to match with then current Glasshouse production. | 
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| T85 This is a ‘generic’ shot of the T85. They were all pretty much the same other than wing span. | 
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| T85 SG A rationalisation of the T84G to make getting in and out easier. | 
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| T85BG A 29’6” span version of the T85. | 
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| T85CG A 31’6” span version of the T85 | 
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| Single Seaters – Floats Any of the single seaters may have been put on floats by owners. Certainly T83’s were. Photos are still around but none have come my way. | 
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| Thruster 84 Utility (Glasshouse) (& Two Seater Prototype) Ranking nearly with T1 in importance this aircraft (now in single seat configuration) was the first of the Thruster two seaters. It was the only one known to have been built to the intended ‘Utility’ specifications of 25’6” span. The machine has been fully restored, flies regularly and lives at Watts Bridge in the same hangar as T1. | 
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| Thruster 84 TPT (Glasshouse C) A known 8 of these were built. At least one had the Utility bench seat, the remainder have the conventional separate bucket seats. 31’6” span that all the following two seaters other than the ‘Flash’ were to follow. | 
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| Gemini XAB Probably the most historic and modified Thruster in the country. Starting life as a Glasshouse and then being modified through Gemini X, A & B status. This aircraft is still flying regularly and in excellent condition. | 
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| Gemini A Prototype (Original Form) First day of flight! Note the engine support struts at this time were bent around the pod, not passed through it by access holes. | 
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| Gemini A Prototype (95.25 Form) The Prototype 95.25 as she is today. | 
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| Gemini X Maybe around 20 of these were built. They are distinguished on casual view by the vertical rise of the fins from the boom before sweeping back. This is the one displayed at the Paris Air Show in 1985. | 
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| Production Gemini A Main feature is the broad chord ailerons. | 
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| Gemini B Outwardly identical to the A other than the narrow chord ailerons. This type had a number of detail strengthening fittings and many A’s were retrofitted with B components. | 
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| Gemini EH Fully enclosed version of the Gemini. The factory never built these, they have all been done by owners. This one is unique in that it has a light alloy skinning on the rear to replace the Dacron used by the T500 (CAR 35 Approved). | 
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| TST A lot more chromoly strengthening was included, primarily with an all new tail unit. The TST retained the Gemini wings and pod shape. | 
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| TST EHF Fully enclosed version of the TST. This one is a NZ aircraft and is also fitted with flapperons (as are so many of the NZ Thrusters). | 
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| Sprint Shown in present condition after 1990’s modifications to the cockpit, rear fairing and aerofoil section lift struts. No photos of this aircraft in original condition have yet been found. | 
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| Sprint/T85C Hybrid The pod from the second partially completed Sprint that was married to a T85C airframe. | 
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| TST L &T300 Identical except for name, this type is what most people think a Thruster is. This one is a T300. | 
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| T300 (Enclosed) A T300 with a fully enclosed cabin and doors. | 
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| T300 912 A factory produced T300 carrying the Rotax 912 four stroke motor. | 
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| T300 EH ‘Eagle’ A fully enclosed and optioned T300 that cruises at 70 kts. | 
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| T300 ‘Stits’ An extensively modified T300 with a ‘fixed’ wing structure capable of taking Stits covering. | 
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| TST E & T500 Identical except for name, this one is a TST E that was exported to Austria. | 
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| T100 (503 Form) The aircraft operated normally when fitted with the 503 after the originally intended Rotax 532 that caused weight and balance problems. The aircraft was later cannibalised but TOSG has the main surviving parts. | 
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| T100/T85SG Hybrid A T100 pod grafted to a T85SG airframe. | 
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| T100/T83 Hybrid A T100 pod grafted to a T83 airframe. | 
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| T200/’Bill Robinson’s Single Seat T300’ This was the T100 with the second Sprint pod on it. No photos have yet been obtained of this. | 
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| Flying Fox An experiment in drag reduction on Thrusters with an entirely internal undercarriage main support structure and re-positioned lift struts. | 
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| Flash Another experiment in converting a modified T83 single seater into a two seater. This aircraft has a unique pod and lozenge ailerons. | 
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| Bilby (Phase 1) A radically redesigned and modified T300 with flapperons. Now more resembles the T600T Sprint than the T300 it started as. Phase 2 will modify the wings and correct the wing incidence angle as a test bed for changing the 95.25 Thrusters and make them easier to land. | 
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| Swift This T500 gives an indication of what the Swift is going to look like via the completely faired in pod and new doors. The modified roof anti-interference drag fairing, flapperons, aerofoil section lift struts and spats still have yet to be fitted. | 
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| T600N (UK Development Aircraft) This appears to be the aircraft most of the T600 development work was done on. The registration is significant as the ‘Ginge’ is where the aircraft is built. | 
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| T600T Sprint Weight increases allowed fully enclosed rear ends at last – like our T500s and it sure looks nice. | 
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| T600N Sprint Nosewheel version of the Sprint. | 
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| T600F The float plane has been flying for several years now. Weight increases should see an amphibian version also appearing. |  
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| Vision 600N (1st one) This was a fully imported T600N presented in Vision logos and used as a factory development aircraft. | 
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| The Second T-600N Imported for Factory Evaluation This aircraft was used for engine experimentation including the HKS which was discontinued. The aircraft is shown here with a Rotax 582 ‘E’ type Gear Box. | 
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| Vision 600N (3rd one – Jab 2200 engine) This was the 3rd fully imported T600N, this one having the Jabiru 2200 motor. This aircraft enabled the final checking for the factory jigs and tooling. The initial production batch were exactly the same as this. | 
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| Vision 600T The only tail wheel ‘600 presently in the country. One of the first production batch of 5 imported ‘600s assembled in Australia. | 
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1. Single Seaters on Floats
Any photos required of any Thruster on floats (other than the ‘600s)
2. 1st T84
TOSG wants to know where this aircraft is – if it still exists. We also need a good photo of it. The only one we have is a poor copy from the cover of the first Thruster factory advertising literature.
3. Gemini Utility with crop spraying gear
Any photo of a Gemini carrying crop spraying equipment will complete that part of a now dead area in the Thruster record.
4. Sprint in original factory condition
A photo of this aircraft as originally designed, and/or any advertising literature will complete that part of the record.
5. T200/’Bill Robinson’s Single Seat T300’ as it was
This would be the T100 with the 2nd Sprint pod on it. It was around for several years so photos must have been taken of it. This is the final piece in the most complicated part of the Thruster jigsaw puzzle.
6. Project T88
Although only small minor components were made, there was a display model of this aircraft produced and advanced advertising literature was produced by the factory. Any photos of the model or copies of the hand-outs will also finish this part of the record.
Tony Hayes
thayes@bordernet.com.au.
Copyright © 2003 Tony Hayes