Air Tractor AT-500

Air Tractor · United States · first flew 1986 · light aircraft

The Air Tractor AT-500 series is a family of single-turboprop agricultural aircraft produced by Air Tractor of Olney, Texas, designed for efficient crop-spraying and agricultural application operations. It is one of the leading agricultural aircraft in the world by sales.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × turboprop, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	10.01 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single-turboprop agricultural aircraft
Large chemical hopper forward of cockpit
Low-wing crop-duster with single-seat cockpit

A low-wing monoplane with a large, bulbous forward fuselage housing the chemical hopper, a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop, a single-seat cockpit aft of the hopper, and low-set tapered wings.

Specifications

The Air Tractor AT-500 has a length of 10.01 m (33 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.24 m (50 ft).
Its maximum speed is 338 km/h (210 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The AT-500 series first flew in 1986 and has been produced in several variants offering different hopper capacities and powerplants. Air Tractor has dominated the agricultural aviation market in the United States and achieved significant export success, particularly in South America and Australia.

Variants

The AT-502 has a 2000-litre hopper; the AT-502B is the standard agricultural version; the AT-504 is a larger variant; the AT-502 Air Tractor is also used for fire retardant drop operations.

Where you'll see it

Operated by agricultural aviation operators worldwide for crop spraying, fertiliser application, and aerial fire suppression.

Related aircraft

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