Payen PA.51 Agricavia?

[cluttonfred]

I found this drawing posted by Jemiba in another thread of the Payen PA.51 Agricavia. Obviously, the name suggests an agricultural aircraft, but on that bottom version, those pods looks like they could be light machine guns. Does anyone know anything more about this design? Thanks!

 

[Jemiba]

Here's an article about the Pa.51 from "Les Ailes". Cannot find any mention
of an intended use as a light attack or COIN aircraft and judging the performance
figures it would have been a very light and slow one, I think.
As can be seen on the front view (but only there !) there's a structure shown
below the wing and between the pods, that to my opinion is spray bar.

 

[cluttonfred]

Thanks much, Jemiba.

 

[robunos]

As can be seen on the front view (but only there !) there's a structure shown
below the wing and between the pods, that to my opinion is spray bar.

Have to disagree, I'm afraid. I would say it's a dotted view showing how far the flaps
and drooping ailerons go down...


cheers,
Robin.

 

[Jemiba]

Have to disagree, I'm afraid. I would say it's a dotted view showing how far the flaps
and drooping ailerons go down...

cheers,
Robin.

Indeed, you're right, those lines match exactly the flaps and ailerons.
Sorry, my fault ! If the pods aren't fuel tanks (too far away from the engine
for such a design ?) or chemical tanks (a little bit too small for this purpose ?),
perhaps they could house the spray pumps ?

 

[cluttonfred]

Actually, the middle paragraph of the second scan above states that the design is supposed to have jettisonable fuel tanks, so that answers the question.

 

[Jemiba]

Oops, that's me and my french !
Tried again and noticed, that the Agricavia wasn't intended as a purely civil
design, but for medevac or gun spotting, too. Drop tanks on a civil aircraft
would have been a novelty, I think.

 

[cluttonfred]

Actually, the article also article states (and the image in the other thread supports) that there were two versions, one for agriculture (higher wing, windowless fuselage pod) and one for artillery observation (mid wing, much more glazing), medevac or liaison, so military, but no gun pods.

 

[hesham]

From Ailes 10/1957.

 

[Deltafan]

Thanks Hesham