Weatherly 201

Development

In the early 1960s, John Weatherly formed the Weatherly Aviation Company, to convert 19 Fairchild M-62s into the Weatherly WM-62C agricultural aircraft. With this experience, Weatherly designed his own agricultural monoplane, the Weatherly Model 201. The Weatherly 201 is a cantilever low-wing monoplane, with a fixed tailwheel landing gear, and powered by a nose-mounted 450 hp (336 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial engine. Its fuselage is constructed of steel tube with aluminium panel covering, while the wings, which are unswept and have 6 degrees of dihedral, are of all metal (aluminium) construction. It has an enclosed cockpit for the pilot, and a glassfibre 270 gallon (1022 litre) chemical hopper in the forward fuselage. It was designed for crop dusting and liquid spraying, and was certified in 1967.

In 1970, the Model 201A was introduced that had a larger chemical hopper and fuel capacity; it was also built as the Model 201B with minor improvements. In 1975, another improved version, the Model 201C, was introduced.

By 1979, more than 100 Model 201s had been built, and it was then succeeded by the improved Weatherly 620.

Variants

Model 201

Initial production variant, 2 built.

Model 201A

Enlarged fuel capacity and a larger chemical hopper, 5 built.

Model 201B

201A with minor improvements, 45 built.

Model 201C

Improved variant, 38 built.

Specifications (201A)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1971-72

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Payload: 260 US Gallons (984 litres) hopper

Length: 26 ft 7 in (8.10 m)

Wingspan: 39 ft 0 in (11.89 m)

Height: 7 ft 11 in (2.41 m)

Wing area: 248 ft² (23.1 m²)

Empty weight: 2,550 lb (1,157 kg)

Loaded weight: 3,500 lb (1,588 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 4,800 lb (2,177 kg)

Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985 nine-cylinder single row air cooled radial engine, 450 hp (336 kW)

Performance

Never exceed speed: 125.5 knots (145 mph, 233 km/h)

Maximum speed: 111 knots (128 mph, 206 km/h) at sea level

Cruise speed: 91 knots (105 mph, 169 km/h)

Stall speed: 46 knots (53 mph, 85 km/h)

Range: nm (mi, km)

Service ceiling: ft (m)

Rate of climb: 960 ft/min (4.9 m/s)