You will never see a plane designed in this bizarre way again

The aircraft known as the Air Truck has a unique design – in fact, it’s so unique that you won’t ever see a plane designed in this bizarre way again.

The plane earned its moniker for being dependable and versatile, and it had quirky features setting it apart from other types of aircraft.

But why was the Air Truck so different?

Well, let’s take a look, shall we?

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Aircraft come in all manner of shapes and sizes

Thanks to ever-advancing technology, planes are evolving rapidly.

In fact, a blended-wing body aircraft known as the ‘Boeing killer’ is set to come soon. And then there’s the planned EV air taxi in New York.

Like everything though, planes have evolved over time. For instance, the original types of jets look very different to the ones that we see today.

So, we’re about to take it back to a very uniquely designed aircraft that came to life in the 1900s.

It was called the Transavia PL-12 Air Truck

The aircraft lovingly known as the Air Truck was invented by Luigi Pellarini and had a very unique design.

To the ordinary eye, the plane looks evidently shorter than the standard Cessna. But that design quirk was there for a very valid reason.

It was used to help the land below by crop dusting.

According to the Powerhouse Collection:

“There was a need for such an aircraft as after World War II, many pilots found employment flying light aircraft for aerial crop dusting and spraying or making air drops of fodder in times of drought and flood.”

The design meant that the pilot had a high view, with the cockpit sitting higher up than usually seen, almost like a ‘crow’s nest view’. There was also no stabilizer behind the fuselage.

The plane wasn’t Luigi’s first rodeo either.

As the Ferrymead Autonautical Society explains:

“Luigi Pellagrini had earlier designed a similar aircraft known as the PL-11 Airtruck utilising war-surplus North American Harvard parts, two of which were manufactured by Bennett Aviation in Te Kuiti, New Zealand.”

The most unique aspect of the plane was at the rear

The plane had a pair of ‘twin tail blooms,’ but the design was for a valid reason.

The unique style meant that materials to be distributed to wildlife could be loaded up onto the plane quickly and efficiently.

The Air Truck was even loved by the movie industry as it was used in Mad Max III Beyond Thunderdome.

It was further distributed and developed to have a multitude of uses, like hosting other passengers and even as an ambulance.

Take a look at the Air Truck in action as MojoGrip runs you through the history of the unique aircraft.

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