On The Land
18 December, 2024
Aircraft designer cut teeth on cane harvester
INTERNATIONALLY renown engineer Rodney Stiff added another notch to his belt last month when Engineering Australia named him the Engineering Associate of the Year at its annual awards gala event at the Brisbane City Hall.
The Malanda local was the recipient of the award for his “entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to engineering innovation” that left a “lasting impact on both the agricultural and aviation industries.”
Rodney Smith, OAM, began his career in the 1950s as an apprentice draughtsman with Queensland Railways before heading north to begin his engineering career at Massey Ferguson in Cairns.
But with the demand for sugar growing, and a post-war Northern Queensland feeling the labour shortage, Rod joined forces with Harry Toft and moved to Bundaberg to help in the design of mechanical cane harvesters. The Toft brothers formed Austoft and went on to become the international leaders in cane harvesting machinery.
Rodney is still listed as the inventor of 17 Austoft patents, including the 7000 series mechanical cane harvester, which remains the gold standard globally. It revolutionised the sugar industry by enabling farmers to cut green cane, instead of burning it before harvest.
During his time at Austoft, Rod was quietly developing a new design passion which, literally, took flight.
At 49, Rod took the leap into light aircraft and founded Jabiru Aircraft. Just two years after his engine and designs were approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Jabiru was shipping its first kits to the United States.
Throughout his career, he created four aircraft fuselages, four engines, kits variants and propellers.
In 2006, Rod was presented with an Order of Australia Medal for his work in the aviation industry. In 2009, he became the first person from outside the US to be given the Dr August Raspet Memorial Award for making significant advancements in light aircraft design. Among the many tributes he has garnered , was also the recipient of the Lawrence Hargrave Award by the Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division in 2013.
