Ayres Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer owned and run by Fred Ayres.
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Albany, Georgia, division of Rockwell International |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Fred Ayres |
| Defunct | 2001 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy; acquired by Thrush Aircraft |
| Successor | Thrush Aircraft |
| Headquarters | , |
| Subsidiaries | LET (1998–2001) |
History edit
In 1977, Ayres bought the Albany, Georgia division of Rockwell International, which made the S2R Thrush Commander agricultural aircraft.[1][failed verification] Before this, Ayres had been a distributor of Thrush Commanders.[citation needed] After the acquisition, Ayres developed two-seat and turboprop-powered versions of the Thrust Commander.[citation needed]
By 1981, the company was operating a crop-dusting training school.[2] A special V-1-A Vigilante version of the Thrust Commander was developed in 1989 for anti-drug operations in South America.[3] The company attempted to sell 10 Turbo Thrush aircraft to Iran in 1993, but was unable to receive an exemption from U.S. government sanctions.[4]
In 1996, urged on by Federal Express, development was begun on the Ayres LM200 Loadmaster, designed to carry 7,500 pounds of cargo.[5] The aircraft was to be powered by two 1350 hp LHTEC TP800 driving a single five-bladed Hamilton-Standard propeller through a combining gearbox. To support this development effort, Ayres acquired the LET aircraft manufacturing company in the Czech Republic in September 1998.[6][failed verification][7][failed verification]
In 2001, the company was forced into bankruptcy when creditors foreclosed on it and the Loadmaster program was terminated.[8][failed verification]
In 2003, the company's assets were bought by Thrush Aircraft.[9]
Aircraft edit
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayres Thrush | Single engine agricultural monoplane | ||
| Ayres LM200 Loadmaster | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt single engine cargo monoplane |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "What's New". Atlanta Constitution. 30 November 1977. p. 3C. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Pirtle, Caleb (9 August 1981). "Let Us Spray". Atlanta Weekly. pp. 6–9, 12, 16, 17, 25. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Scott, Phil (1 August 2007). "You Might Get Shot At". AOPA. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Brice, Arthur (8 January 1993). "South Georgia Manufacturer Upset that U.S. Won't OK Crop-Duster Sale". Atlanta Constitution. pp. H1, H8. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Thurston, Scott (1 December 1996). "FedEx Deal Could Put Small Firm 'On the Map'". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. R6. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Thurston, Scott (18 August 1998). "Ayres Soars into Europe on Czech Purchase". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D2. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Hirschman, Dave (10 September 2000). "Carrying the Load". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. pp. Q1, Q5. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Padfield, R. Randall. "Loadmaster in limbo as Ayres fades away". AINOnline. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Hirschman, Dave (28 September 2003). "Aircraft Factory Enjoys Revival". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. pp. E1, E7. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
External links edit
- Website archive at the Wayback Machine (archived March 27, 1997)
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