08/31/2014. Remarks by Walter van Tilborg: "The Thrush S2R-H80 is a recent variant of the Thrush/Turbo Thrush series of agplanes and was developed by the current license-holder, Thrush Aircraft, Inc. It was the first model to be powered by the 800 hp General Electric H80 turbine (which was developed from the Czech Walter/LOM M601 after GE had acquired this company) and is marketed as the Thrush 510G, indicating a hopper of 510 gal (1,930 l) and a General Electric engine. The first S2R-H80 made its maiden flight on November 23, 2010.

The history of what is now known as the Thrush/Turbo Thrush was started in the early 1950s by Leland Snow, an experienced agplane pilot. The resulting Snow S-2 (S-1 was a prototype) gradually pioneered, together with the AG-3 of the Texas Agricultural & Mechanical (Texas A&M) College, the later generally adopted agplane configuration with the hopper in the forward fuselage and the pilot in a raised position, for improved better all-round visibility. This AG-3 later entered production as the Piper PA-25 Pawnee. The S-2 was produced (with a radial engine) by the Snow Aeronautical Corporation till production rights were purchased (in 1965) by the Rockwell Standard Corporation with the company continuing production and development in its Aero Commander Division.

A turbine engine variant was offered by Fred Ayres (initially as a conversion of radial engine S-2s) and when the Ayres Corporation acquired production rights in November 1977, the company also started producing new turbine engine S-2s. In June 2003 the production rights and assets were acquired by Thrush Aircraft, Inc and this company continued production (mainly turbine engine, but also one radial engine variant) and also developed new variants such as the S2R-H80.

Initially registered to Thrush Aircraft, Inc as N30449, this aircraft was built in 2013, it received its CofA on January 15, 2014. The registration was cancelled on 15 April 2014 on export to the Peoples Republic of China."