PAC Cresco

PAC Cresco 08-600(750)
PAC Cresco ZK-LTU
Role	Turboprop
Manufacturer	Pacific Aerospace Corporation.
First flight	28 February 1979
Developed from	PAC Fletcher
Variants	PAC 750XL

The PAC Cresco is a turboprop-powered derivative of the FU-24 PAC Fletcher aerial topdressing aircraft, manufactured by the Pacific Aerospace Corporation in Hamilton, New Zealand.

The Cresco is a low-wing monoplane which, like the Fletcher but unlike most topdressers, has tricycle undercarriage and places the cabin forward of the , at the leading edge of the wing - which gives the pilot of the Cresco a good field of vision. The high-lift wing has pronounced dihedral on the outer span. The prototype Cresco (ZK-LTP) had an all-moving tailplane, but was lost when the tailplane separated in flight, (the pilot parachuting to safety). Subsequent aircraft have had conventional tails.

Sales of the Cresco were not as impressive as those of the piston-engine powered Fletcher, with only 39 examples being built before production was terminated. The Cresco has been sold in several countries and has pioneered new utility roles not explored by the Fletcher. Although used primarily to spread superphosphate fertiliser, the Cresco is also used in the utility role, especially as a skydiving platform, where its fast rate of climb (1,560 ft/min, 7.9 m/s) has made it popular, and as a firefighting water bomber, a role it can perform with little alteration from its standard agricultural layout. One aircraft has been converted for aeromagnetic survey. A disadvantage in the utility role is the low internal volume available for the relatively high-powered engine.

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Wikipedia