Sold in Australia as VH-CRQ.

VH-FBC on a farm property near Yass. The aircraft was based at Cootamundra.

VH-FBQ gets airborne from a typical farm airstrip in the vicinity of Cootamundra. In the far background are the ground crew supporting the superphosphate spreading operation.

VH-FBC taking on another load of dry chemicals on a farm near Cootamundra.

The Fu-24 was designed by John Thorp whose work included the Piper PA28 Cherokee and the Thorp T-18. The prototype was built in the US to a New Zealand specification. Assembly was initially undertaken in New Zealand using US-supplied kits. From 1961 aircraft were entirely built in NZ.

VH-FBQ operating from a farm not far from its base at Cootamundra. The aircraft returned to New Zealand as ZK-CLO in November 1964.

Photo taken on a farm in the Frampton district near Cootamundra. In 1958 superphosphate came in individual sacks and agricultural pilots wore wartime leather helmets. Now it is bulk chemicals and kevlar helmets.

VH-FBC returned to New Zealand in 1964 before coming back to Australia in 1969. On March 17, 1970 it crashed at Cassilis, NSW. The other Fletcher is VH-FBQ.

VH-FLA arrived in Australia in 1968 and had a magnometer fitted to the top of the fin. It was converted back to standard Fu-24 before returning to New Zealand as ZK-CTS in March 1977.

VH-SFL returned to New Zealand in 2002 as ZK-SFL.

ZK-CKJ was cancelled from the New Zealand register in January 1969 as sold in Australia. It was likely in Australia for conversion to a 400hp engine by Aerosmith as part of the development of new model. That project was cancelled in favour of a 400hp conversion designed by Australian agricultural operator Pay's Air Services. ZK-CKJ was restored to the New Zealand register in December 1969 without ever gracing the Australian register. It received a 400hp engine in NZ in May 1970, to become a FU-24-950M, and crashed at Rotorua in March 1973.

Ex ZK-DAJ. Was to become VH-EQL but this registration was not taken up and it came on to the register as VH-SFL in January 1970. Exported back to New Zealand in March 2002 where it became ZK-SFL.

VH-EQH crashed at Moura, Queensland, on March 28, 1974.

VH-EPZ was fitted with a 400hp Lycoming IO-720 and a larger fin by Aerosmith on behalf of Air Parts, the New Zealand manufacturer. At the same time, Col Pay, of Pay's Air Services at Scone, did his own 400hp conversion and that was adopted by Air Parts for production. As a consequence, VH-EPZ returned to New Zealand as ZK-CXW without being registered in Australia. Before it departed it was restored to its original factory specifications.

VH-EOD was registered in January 1969. Over the next quarter of a century it was modified and updated several times before returning to New Zealand as ZK-EOE in 1995. Air Parts was the initial manufacturer in New Zealand.

GRD had two Fu-24s modified with magnetometers on the fin and the hoppers replaced by windowed cabins.

Crashed at Lithgow, NSW, April 2, 1973