Huff-Daland Petrel

The first plane to be designed and built specifically for crop dusting the Petrel was colloquially known as the "Puffer" and was produced to satisfy a demand to eradicate the boll weevil from the cotton fields of the American south. Flying for the first time in 1924 it was also used in Mexico and Peru.

Power plant 1 x 400 h.p Liberty 12

Span 33'3" Length 23'1" Height 8'4"
Maximum take off weight 5,250 lb

Max speed 112 mph Cruising (dusting) speed 85 mph

reply

That picture is fron de Argentinian Navy, where this airplane flew on service.

reply

Bill, UNTRUE, they moved the shareholder meetings from Monroe to NYC about 12-15 years ago.

Ron, Not entirely true, here is a brief history of Delta...

Formed as Huff Daland Dusters, Incorporated, an aerial crop dusting operation, on May 30, 1924 in Macon, Georgia, the company moved to Monroe, Louisiana, in 1925 and began acting as a passenger airline in the late 1920s. Collett E. Woolman purchased the company on September 13, 1928, and renamed it Delta Air Service, with headquarters in Monroe.[11] In the ensuing decades, Delta grew through the addition of routes and the acquisition of other airlines. It transitioned from propeller planes to jets in the 1970s, and entered international competition to Europe in the 1970s and across the Pacific in the 1980s.

I use to walk under the Duster everyday to go to work, it has since been moved from our Tech Ops division to the hanger at the corporate offices along with the Travel Air and a Boeing 767 the employees bought back in 1982 named the Spirit of Delta.

reply

Bill, UNTRUE, they moved the shareholder meetings from Monroe to NYC about 12-15 years ago.

Ron, Not entirely true, here is a brief history of Delta...

Formed as Huff Daland Dusters, Incorporated, an aerial crop dusting operation, on May 30, 1924 in Macon, Georgia, the company moved to Monroe, Louisiana, in 1925 and began acting as a passenger airline in the late 1920s. Collett E. Woolman purchased the company on September 13, 1928, and renamed it Delta Air Service, with headquarters in Monroe.[11] In the ensuing decades, Delta grew through the addition of routes and the acquisition of other airlines. It transitioned from propeller planes to jets in the 1970s, and entered international competition to Europe in the 1970s and across the Pacific in the 1980s.

I use to walk under the Duster everyday to go to work, it has since been moved from our Tech Ops division to the hanger at the corporate offices along with the Travel Air and a Boeing 767 the employees bought back in 1982 named the Spirit of Delta.

reply

Go to Google, Type in (Travelair 4000 Holdcom,s Aerodrome)Check out the 4000.I have a picture of one converted to a duster, it made a forced landing in a cotton field, shows some damage.HLK

reply

I have heard to story for years that one of my Daddy's relationship's was in partners with the man that went on to begin Delta. Does anyone possibly remember those days or who it might have been. thanks

reply

The Plane pictured above was not like the Huff Deland I flew,I have pictures of that one and it has a distinctive readable triangular Delta insignia on the side of the fuselage. The one above appears to be more like what we called a dog eared Travelair because of the extended top ailerons. I believe it,s designation was a Travelair 4000. HLK

reply

I Have several pictures of the Deltas Huff Deland Airplanes including one that crashed and burned on take off.near the range line road west of Delray Beach Fla in 1947 or 1948. I was flying for a competitor company at that time but was able to sneak flight in a (Huffer)through a good friend.It was a very good duster with exceptionally short lower wings and with no vertical stabilizer at the rudder position. The engine had been changed from the original Wright J5 or J6 to a Continental 220Hp W670. I was flying Stearman dusters at the time and it was a mutual swap for comparison. I am more than 85 yrs old and now enjoy flying a newly redone Aeronca 7AC Champ HLK

reply

Delta Air Lines has a restored Huff-Daland duster in their museum in Atlanta, Ga. Delta retained parts from their duster fleet and restored the aircraft from those parts. There was a mechanic from the Dusting Divison that oversaw the restoration.

reply

Huff-Dalland became DELTA Airlines. Starting in West Monroe, LA. H-D designd and built the first purpose built duster airframes and they morphed into DELTA. I had a friend over 30 years ago who was a very senior DELTA stretch DC-8 Captain who recalled being furloughed to H-D for his first few Summers to dust, returning to the line in the Fall until he'd developed enough seniority to remain as a line pilot full time.
H-D designed and built quite a few duster types. Up until the merger with NWA, the annual shareholders meetings for DLA were held in a store front in West Monroe, LA.

reply

Delta Air Lines beegan in Louisiana, in 1925, as a crop dusting company, using Huff-Deland Crop Dusters. The same plane shown above. I have a set of Delta commerative aircraft sketches with the HD shown above.

reply