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INTRODUCTION

Fandrich aerial equipment is mechanizing cone harvesting operations. A Fandrich aerial rake on a helicopter can rapidly collect the best cones from 60 - 100 trees per hour.

A Fandrich grapple on a helicopter can quickly clean creeks, transport debris and move material at 80 - 120 loads per hour.

FANDRICH AERIAL POWERRAKE

• Fandrich powerrakes collect cones with minimum damage to trees by using a Honda engine to power rotors.
• Flexible fingers on the rotors strip the cones from the branches.
• Powerrakes are best suited for Douglas fir, spruce and larch cones.
• Cones are collected in two baskets that are tripped by the ground crew to dump the load.
• Fandrich powerrakes weigh about 365 lbs.

FANDRICH AERIAL SHEAR

• The Fandrich shear has a cutting blade that is hydraulically powered by a Honda engine.
• The blade cuts cone-laden tree-tops that fall into a basket.
• Fandrich shears are used for all species with narrow crowns.
• The manual unloading shear weighs 380 lbs. During unloading the helicopter hovers while the tree-tops are thrown out of the basket by hand.
• The self-dumping shear weighs 425 lbs. The pilot dumps the load using a switch in the helicopter. Unloading is faster than with the manual unloading model but the machine is 45 pounds heavier so can carry a smaller load of cones.

FANDRICH BRANCH COLLECTOR

• The Fandrich branch collector cuts cone-laden branches that fall into a basket. Since helicopter lift supplies the force to cut the branches the helicopter should have a lift of at least 1200 lbs.
• The manual latch model requires the basket to be latched on to the cables by hand by 1-3 people on the ground. The self-latching model requires one person on the ground to flip a handle to actuate the self-latching mechanism. The helicopter then lifts the basket to dump the load.
• Branch collectors are best suited for balsam and true fir cones.
• The machine weighs about 310 lbs.

FANDRICH AERIAL GRAPPLE

• The Fandrich grapple moves logs, cleans debris from creeks and transports material using helicopters.
• The Fandrich grapple needs no engine, hydraulic or electric power. It uses helicopter lift to close arms, a switch to dump load and weight of the grapple to reset the fingers.
• Slender fingers penetrate deep into a pile.
• The arms grasp loads up to 40 in. wide and 35 in. high.
• The Fandrich grapple weighs about 140 lbs
• Fandrich grapples can lift 1600 pounds.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR ESTIMATING THE COST OF AERIAL COLLECTIONS

1. Estimate number of trees required to collect one hectolitre of cones (or the volume of cones carried per load) and distance travelled from trees to dumping site.
2. Read volume collected per hour from the table below.
3. Calculate collecting cost per hectolitre by dividing operating expenses (helicopter plus ground crew plus rake rental costs) by the volume collected per hour.
4. Add in sacking, ferrying, monitoring, transportation, and fixed costs.
5. Keep costs low by selecting dumping sites close to trees being raked.

RECOMMENDED FANDRICH RAKES

The Fandrich self-dumping shear is usually faster than the Fandrich manual unload shear when distances from trees to dumping sites are less than 3 km (2 miles). A fast pilot with a larger helicopter who dumps the load without stopping will find the self-dumper faster up to a distance of 5 km (3 miles).

Flexible fingers on the Fandrich powerrake strip cones from branches while leaving the tree intact.

A Fandrich aerial grapple cleans creeks, penetrates and moves debris, and opens up beaver dams in water. Simply hook the grapple to a helicopter and connect to a switch to make the mechanical grapple fully operational. Lifting the grapple encloses the load and pressing a switch releases the load. A Fandrich grapple can be used on small projects since the minimum rental is only 4 hours.

CONE COLLECTING HAS BECOME MECHANIZED

Fandrich cone harvesters have been so successful that they have mechanized the cone collecting industry throughout North America.

In 1993, 49 Fandrich aerial rakes collected nearly 10,000 hl (28,400 bu) of cones. If the seeds from these cones were planted at 4 meter intervals, the rows of seedlings would encircle the equator 160 times.

SMALL AERIAL COLLECTIONS POSSIBLE

Small aerial collections can often be combined with neighbouring projects to make a collection of even a few bushels feasible. Aerial collection is usually the most cost effective method to gather the cones from the tops of trees where the best cones grow.

RESERVING RAKES

Reservations for a Fandrich rake are best made when an aerial cone collection seems likely. Fandrich Cone Harvesters will hold a rake in reserve until we are instructed to ship it or the project is cancelled.

There is no charge for making a reservation but once equipment is shipped, a one-time service charge and shipping costs apply as well as a charge based on volume of cones collected.

EQUIPMENT BOOK AVAILABLE

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COLLECTING LODGEPOLE PINE

Last year British Columbia cone collectors harvested 4200 hectolitres of cones (12,000 bu) with the Fandrich aerial shear, including 2100 hectolitres of lodgepole pine cones. A forester from Smithers collected 366 hL of lodgepole pine cones in less than two weeks in two areas of central British Columbia at a rate that was higher than average. On her cone collection report she wrote:

"Cone crop was excellent in both areas. Actual picking rate by N.M. Helicopters was 5.40 HL per hour. The selected stand was along the main road so we were able to dump right there and as the chopper moved up the road we were able to do the same, unloading within 17 to 28 seconds, averaging 12 tops. Average rate for Poison Creek area was slightly less at 5.12 HL per hour due to cut blocks and access in area. ...All in all I was pleased with collections, especially the two pilots being very helpful and efficient with solving problems with the operation - experience helps."

Other companies collected cones where the crop was poor to build up a supply of needed seeds. Hundreds of hectolitres of lodgepole pine cones were collected at about one hectolitre per hour.

AERIAL HARVESTING POPULAR

Aerial harvesting of cones is popular in British Columbia. During the last 3 years 97% of abies fir cones, 69% of Douglas fir cones and 66% of spruce cones were collected aerially.

Since their introduction three years ago, Fandrich shears have gained acceptance very quickly in British Columbia. Last year 88% of the cones harvested aerially were collected with Fandrich shears. This included all of the lodgepole pine, spruce, and hemlock cones, 74% of Douglas fir cones, and 79% of Abies fir cones collected aerially.

SELF-DUMPER INTRODUCED

Unloading the Fandrich shear is quick and easy with the introduction of the self-dumping basket. The pilot triggers the unloading mechanism when he arrives over the unloading site and the load of cones falls to the ground or directly into a truck for transport to a more convenient sacking site.

A crew is no longer required under the helicopter to unload the tops. Unloading time has been greatly reduced, making helicopter time more efficient and cost effective.

Aerial Cone Harvesting Decision Table

	Topping (Fandrich Shear)				Raking (Fandrich Branch Collector)	Powerraking (Fandrich Powerrake)
Condition	Manual Unloading		Self-Dumping
	Rigid	Fold-up	Rigid	Fold-up
Weight (lb)	390	380	425	390	310	365
Size for Transport (feet)	7x11	7x8	7x12	7x8.5	8 diameter	7 diameter
Unloading Time	20-90 sec		none		20-60 sec	20-60 sec
People Under Helicopter	Yes, to unload tops		No, load dumps itself		Yes, to latch up	Yes, to unload
Source of Power	Honda engine cuts tree-tops		Honda engine cuts tree-tops		Helicopter lift cuts branches	Honda engine strips branches
Wiring Required	Switch to cut Switch to open		Switch to cut Switch to dump Constant power to third wire		None	Switch to strip branches Switch to lift up

Unloading manual shear	Treetop with multiple tops

Cone Collection by Method for 1988-1990 in B.C.
Species	Raking		Topping		Other		Total (hL)
	hL	% of total	hL	% of total	hL	% of total
Lodgepole pine	170	2	2,096	19	8,924	79	11,190
Douglas Fir	323	15	1,200	54	696	31	2,219
Spruce	70	4	1,088	62	588	34	1,745
Abies Fir	1,264	47	1,342	50	88	3	2,694
Hemlock	69	42	88	54	6	14	163
Cedar	70	27	5	2	179	71	253
Totals	1,966	11	5,819	32	10,486	57	18,265

The following table was printed in "A Guide to Aerial Cone Collection Equipment and Techniques in British Columbia" by W.G. Camenzind, Ministry of Forests, Victoria, Canada, June 1990.

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