NAC Fieldmaster

{{Infobox aircraft begin

|name = Fieldmaster

|image = Norman NDN-6 Fieldmaster AN2337048.jpg

|caption = The prototype Fieldmaster at the 1984 Farnborough airshow, 9 September 1984

}}{{Infobox aircraft type

|type = Agricultural Aircraft

|national origin = United Kingdom

|manufacturer = NDN Aircraft

|designer =

|first flight = 17 December 1981

|introduced =

|introduction=

|retired =

|status =

|primary user =

|more users =

|produced =

|number built = 10

|unit cost =

|developed from =

|variants with their own articles =

}}

The NAC Fieldmaster was a British agricultural aircraft of the 1980s. A turboprop powered single-engined monoplane, it was built in small numbers and used both as a cropsprayer and a firefighting aircraft.

Development and design

NDN Aircraft was set up in 1976 by Desmond Norman to build the Firecracker trainer. Norman had been a founder of the Britten-Norman company, the manufacturers of the Islander. NDN Aircraft designed a new agricultural aircraft, the NDN-6 Fieldmaster. This was a large single-engined low-winged monoplane with a fixed tricycle undercarriage, powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop engine, the first western-built agricultural aircraft to be designed for turboprop power.{{cite magazine |last1=Barnett |first1=Cliff |title=Enter the Fieldmaster |magazine=Flight International |date=30 August 1980 |volume=118 |issue=3721 |page=800 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1980/1980%20-%202439.html |access-date=30 March 2019 |issn=0015-3710 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330170210/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1980/1980%20-%202439.html |archive-date=30 March 2019}} Novel features included an integral hopper made of Titanium to carry its chemical payload, which was dispersed via spray nozzles built into the flaps under the aircraft's wings.{{cite magazine |last1=Barnett |first1=Cliff |title=NDN Fieldmaster |magazine=Flight International |date=29 August 1981 |pages=649–652 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1981/1981%20-%202839.html |access-date=30 March 2019 |issue=3773 |issn=0015-3710}}

The first prototype flew on 17 December 1981 at NDN's airfield at Sandown, Isle of Wight. TNDN moved the premises to Cardiff, Wales in 1985, renaming itself the Norman Aeroplane Company (NAC). Production finally started in 1987. It was intended that parts would be produced by UTVA in Pančevo, Yugoslavia (now in Serbia) to be assembled in Cardiff.{{cite magazine |title=Jugoslavs will build Fieldmaster |magazine=Flight International |date=19 March 1988 |volume=133 |issue=4105 |page=12 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1988/1988%20-%200648.html |access-date=30 March 2019 |issn=0015-3710 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330143532/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1988/1988%20-%200648.html |archive-date=30 March 2019}}

NAC went into receivership in 1988, after the production of six Fieldmasters, including the prototype.{{cite magazine |title=Norman calls in receiver |magazine=Flight International |date=6 August 1988 |volume=134 |issue=4125 |page=11 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1988/1988%20-%202031.html |access-date=30 March 2019 |issn=0015-3710 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330170203/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1988/1988%20-%202031.html |archive-date=30 March 2019}} Brooklands Aerospace attempted to continue production, rebuilding one of the Fieldmasters with a more powerful engine as a specialised firefighting aircraft as the Firemaster 65,{{cite magazine |title=Uprated Fieldmaster makes first flight |magazine=Flight International |date=6 December 1989 |volume=136 |issue= 4194 |page=21 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1989/1989%20-%203793.html |access-date=30 March 2019 |issn=0015-3710 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330170217/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1989/1989%20-%203793.html |archive-date=30 March 2019}} but these attempts were stopped by the outbreak of civil war in Yugoslavia.{{cite book |last1=Donald |first1=David |title=The encyclopedia of world aircraft |publisher=Blitz Editions |isbn=185605375X |page=673 |edition=Updated|year=1997 }}

A final attempt at production was made by the Turkish Aeronautical Association (Türk Hava Kurumu – THK) who started licensed production in 1997. This ended in 1999 after completion of two complete aircraft and a further two airframes lacking engines.{{cite web |last1=Tuncay |first1=Deniz |title=THK : Turkish Aircraft Production |url=http://www.tuncay-deniz.com/ENGLISH/THK/thk.html |website=tuncay-deniz |access-date=30 March 2019}}

Variants

;NDN-6 Fieldmaster:The initial designation for the prototype; one built.

;NAC Fieldmaster: Designation of production aircraft after the formation of the Norman Aeroplane Company (NAC); five built.

;Brooklands Aerospace Firemaster 65:A rebuilt Fieldmaster with more powerful engine and firefighting equipment; one conversion.

;THK-TAYSU: Production in Turkey by Türk Hava Kurumu (THK); four built

Specifications (NAC 6)

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988–89{{cite book |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1988–89 |year=1988 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=London |isbn=0-7106-0867-5 |editor1-last=Taylor |editor1-first=John W.R. |pages=299–300}}

|prime units?=met

|crew=1

|capacity=optional trainee / ground operator jump seat and/or {{cvt|2032|kg}} dry chemicals or {{cvt|2366|L|USgal impgal}} liquid

|length m=11.02

|span m=16.23

|upper span m=

|mid span m=

|lower span m=

|width m=

|height m=4.12

|wing area sqm=33.25

|aspect ratio=7.96

|airfoil=NACA 23012

|empty weight kg=2266

|gross weight kg=

|max takeoff weight kg=4535

|max takeoff weight note=to UK CAA AN 90

|fuel capacity= Normal {{cvt|757|L|USgal impgal}}; Maximum {{cvt|1490|L|USgal impgal}} (2 x {{cvt|378.5|L|USgal impgal}} main tanks and 2x {{cvt|367|L|USgal impgal}} auxiliary tanks); Oil {{cvt|13|L|USgal impgal}}

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34AG

|eng1 type=turboprop

|eng1 kw=559

|prop blade number=3

|prop name=Hartzell HC-B3TN-3/T10282+4

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=fully-feathering reversible-pitch metal propeller with spinner

|max speed kmh=265

|max speed note=at sea level

::::{{cvt|265|km/h|mph kn}} at {{cvt|1830|m}}

Design manoeuvring speed: {{cvt|233|km/h|mph kn}}

|cruise speed kmh=

|stall speed kmh=129

|stall speed note=flaps up

::::{{cvt|111|km/h|mph kn}} flaps 30°

|never exceed speed kmh=318

|minimum control speed kmh=

|range km=

|range note=

|combat range km=

|ferry range km=1853

|ferry range note=with 2 crew at {{cvt|3050|m}}, with {{cvt|454|kg}} of equipment and max fuel with no reserve

|endurance=

|ceiling m=5547

|g limits=+3 / -1.7

|roll rate=

|climb rate ms=4.883

|time to altitude=

|wing loading kg/m2=136.37

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|power/mass={{cvt|8.11|kg/kW}}

|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

Take-off run to {{cvt|15|m}}: {{cvt|419|m}}
Landing run from {{cvt|15|m}}: {{cvt|419|m}}
Landing run: {{cvt|152|m}} at {{cvt|2720|kg}} with propeller reversal

}}

References

External links

{{cite web |title=NDN/NORMAN AEROPLANE Co. |url=http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/iowweb/ndn.html |website=ISLE OF WIGHT AVIATION |access-date=30 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413050620/http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/iowweb/ndn.html |archive-date=13 April 2009}}

Category:1980s British agricultural aircraft

Fieldmaster

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Single-engined turboprop aircraft

Category:Low-wing aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1981