Thrush Commander

Rockwell International · United States · first flew 1956 · light aircraft

The Thrush Commander is an American single-engine agricultural aircraft designed for crop-dusting and aerial application, derived from the Aero Commander Ag Commander and produced in several piston and turboprop versions.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.95 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Large single-engine low-wing agricultural monoplane
Hopper ahead of the cockpit for chemical dispersal
Heavy-duty fixed undercarriage and rollover protection

Low-wing agricultural monoplane with a large chemical hopper forward of the cockpit, heavy fixed undercarriage and a wide chord wing; easily distinguished from light aircraft by the agricultural equipment and robust structure.

Specifications

The Thrush Commander has a length of 8.95 m (29 ft).
It has a wingspan of 13.51 m (44 ft).
Its maximum speed is 241 km/h (150 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The design originated with Snow Aviation and was refined through Aero Commander ownership before becoming the Thrush Commander in the 1970s. It is one of the most capable and widely used agricultural aircraft in the world, with thousands delivered.

Variants

Piston-powered S2R variants with different engine fits and the turboprop Thrush 510G/660 represent the main production families; the Thrush Aircraft company continues production.

Where you'll see it

Thrush Commanders operate globally in agricultural aviation; the type is the dominant large single-engine ag aircraft in North America and South America.

Related aircraft

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