Air Tractor AT-501

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

The Air Tractor AT-501 is a single-seat agricultural aircraft powered by a 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial piston engine, the piston member of Air Tractor's AT-500 family built in Olney, Texas.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	10.21 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Single turboprop agricultural aircraft with large hopper ahead of the cockpit
Low-wing monoplane with bubble canopy, large spray boom under the wing
PT6A turboprop engine, rugged fixed or taildragger undercarriage for rough field operations

A purposeful low-wing turboprop with a large chemical hopper occupying the forward fuselage ahead of the cockpit, distinctive spray booms under the wings, and a bubble canopy giving the pilot good downward visibility.

Specifications

The Air Tractor AT-501 has a length of 10.21 m (33 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.85 m (52 ft).
Its maximum speed is 248 km/h (154 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

Developed from Air Tractor's earlier AT-400 series, the AT-501 entered production in 1986 with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine for improved performance over radial-engine predecessors. It has become a widely used agricultural aircraft worldwide.

Variants

Related variants include the AT-502 with a larger hopper and the AT-504 with different engine options; all share the same basic airframe.

Where you'll see it

Used extensively by agricultural aviation operators throughout North America, South America, Australia, and many other regions for crop protection and fertiliser application.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.