Air Tractor AT-501 / AT-502 / AT-503

AT-502B

On the drawing boards at the same time as the 401/402 develop¬ment, was a two seat, long range sprayer powered with a P&W PT6A-45R of 1100 hp, and fitted with a five bladed prop for quietness. The airframe was lengthened by fourteen inches and a 500 gallon hopper installed. The wingspan was 48 feet and, as the model AT-503, N7309X first flew on 25 April 1986. The machine was intended for use in the US State Department’s narcotics eradication programme. However the aircraft went to Spain in 1989 for use in the fire bombing and agricultural role.

Not far behind the AT-503, was the AT-501 and AT-502, both with a wingspan of 50 feet. The AT-501, was powered by a geared P&W 600 hp R-1340-53H1-G, driving a three blade propeller. The variant was thought to be an option for an increased hopper load but with the cheaper piston engine. The first example was first flown in January 1987 as N7314C, but only nine were subsequently sold, and the development was set aside for production of the AT-502. The first AT-502 Turbo, N4531K, flying in April 1987, powered by a 680shp P&W PT6 engine.

AT502B-0265

The Air Tractor AT-502, N7314D serial –0003, was first flown in April 1987. N7391L was first to enter service in February 1988. The aircraft were single seaters on quite long undercarriage legs. The same fuselage as the AT-501 from the firewall back, provision had to be made for the 11 foot diameter of the piston engine propeller. The engine for the AT-502 is the PT6A-15AG of 680HP, the same as the AT-402. The airframe has also been certified for installation of the PT6A-34AG of 750 hp, however very few examples have been fitted at the factory. The weights for the AT-502 are 4200 lbs empty and 9200 lbs operating.
The AT-502A model was first flown in January 1992 and is powered by a PT6A-4S of 1100 HP. To compensate the big engine, it has the larger fin and rudder of the AT-802. The operating weight is 10400 lbs.
N1558P was first flown in July 1992, the first AT-502B. Introduced in November 1993, it is the standard 502 with Hoerner wing tips extending the wing span by two more feet. The operating weight increases from 9200 to 9700 lbs. The engine is still the PT6A-15AG, but can easily fitted with -15, -27, -28, or -34AG variants as supplied by the customer. Up until January 1995, two hundred and seventy-six AT-500 series had been produced.
The AT-503A was a two seat trainer which didn’t fly until September 1990 (N503CP). The AT-503A uses many fuselage parts of the AT¬502 and the same 50 foot wing but has the PT6A-34AG engine fitted. The rear cockpit has the same dimensions as an AT-401 and is set up exactly the same as the front cockpit, including hopper controls.

Gallery

AT-501
1984
Engine: 600hp P&W R-1340

AT-502
Engine: PT6A-15AG, 680 shp
Wingspan: 50 ft
Hopper Cap: 500 USG
Length: 32.5 ft
Empty weight: 4200 lb
Operating weight: 9200 lb

AT-502A
Engine: PT6A-45R, 1100 hp @ 1700 rpm
Propeller: Hartzell 3 blade, reversing
Wing span: 52.0 ft
Wing area: 312 sq. ft.
Operating weight: 10400 lb
Landing weight: 8,000 lb
Empty weight: 4,570 lb
Useful Load: 5,910 lb
Hopper capacity: 500 U.S. gallons
Fuel capacity: 216 U.S. gallons
Never exceed speed: 176 mph

AT-502B
Engine: PT6A-34AG, 750 shp
Wingspan: 52 ft
Wing area: 312 sq.ft
Length: 32 ft 6 in
MAUW: 9700 lb
Hopper Cap: 500 USG

AT-503
Engine: 1100shp P&W PT6-45R
Seats: 2

AT-503A
Engine: PT6A-15AG, 680 shp
Wingspan: 50 ft
Seats: 2

Air Tractor AT-400 / AT-401 / AT-402

AT-402B

The first turbine version, the AT-302 aircraft was fitted with a 400 gallon hopper and a PT6A-15AG turbine and first flown in December 1979 as the AT-400. Eighty-six of the AT-400 were produced until 1987. These aircraft had a 45-ft wingspan, fitted with steel spar caps and reinforced leading edges. The fuselage initially remained the same. A 400 gallon hopper became the standard, and all metal elevators and rudder replaced the fabric covering. N8888S first flew in December 1986 and deliveries began the following June.
The redesigned AT-301 wing received a redesigned fuselage and 600 hp to produce the AT-401 (R-1340).
The AT-401A was also offered, powered by the Polish PZL R3S of 592 hp and first flew in October 1989.
The turbine version, the AT-402, first flew in December 1988 as N1005V, powered by a PT6A-15AG of 680 hp, and the wingspan was increased to 49 ft, and then to 51 ft, for the later B models (incorporating Hoerner wingtips). Deliveries of the AT-402 commencing in March 1989. The operating weight for both the 401/402 models was 7800 lbs.
A reduced horsepower version of the 402B, first flown in January 1990- N10189 – was introduced in June 1997, designated AT-402A, fitted with the smaller PT6A-20 of 550 hp and with a 320 gallon hopper.
Eighty-six AT-400 and AT-400A aircraft were built between 1979 and 1987.

AT-400
Engine: PT6A-15AG, 680 shp
Hopper cap: 400 USG
Max Op weight: 7800 lb

AT-400A
Engine: PT6A-15AG, 680 shp
Wingspan: 45 ft

AT-401
1986
Engine: R-1340, 600 hp
Wingspan: 49 ft
MAUW: 7860 lb
Hopper cap: 400 USG

AT-401A
1991
Engine: PZL-3S

AT-401B
Engine: R-1340, 600 hp
Wingspan: 51 ft

AT-402
Engine: PT6A-15AG, 500 shp
Wingspan: 49 ft

AT-402A
Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-11AG, 550 hp
Wing span: 49 ft
Length: 29 ft 6 in
Empty wt: 3739 lb
Operating wt: 7860 lb

AT-402B
Engine: PT6A-15AG, 680 shp
Wingspan: 51 ft 6 in
Length: 29 ft 6 in

Air Tractor AT-300 / AT-301 / AT-302

Leland Snow moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, and started design work on a new cropduster, derived from the S2B he had designed and built in the fifties. In 1972 he obtained a small business loan, rented a building back in Olney and started to build jigs and tooling for what was to become the Air Tractor AT-300 – a conventional layout crop-duster powered by a Pratt and Whitney R-985-AN1 of 450hp. A 320 US gallon hopper was installed in a fuselage made of tube construction and included a sealed enclosed cockpit. The aircraft had a conventional tail but with fabric covered control surfaces. The vertical portion incorporated a dorsal fin giving the tail a round shape, unlike later aircraft. The cantilever 45 foot span wing is of all metal construction and incorporates large Fowler type trailing edge flaps. The prototype took seven months to build and Snow first flew the aircraft, N44200, in Septertiber 1973. FAA Certification took fifty-nine days and the first production Air Tractor was sold in March 1974. Seven more were delivered that year including the first Air Tractor AT-301, N4327S, the same aircraft but fitted with a P&W R-1340-AN1 of 600 hp and with an operating weight of 7300 lbs. Twenty aircraft were built during 1975 and, at the end of the year, a new hangar was erected to house the expanding company.
In June 1977, N44415, a turbine version of the AT-301, was flown. Known as the AT-302, it was powered by the then new Avco Lycoming LTP101-A1A of 600 hp. Fourteen were built, followed by the AT-302A in 1980 which had a 400 gallon hopper installed. With an operating weight of 7700 lbs, the aircraft had a wider hopper box and was designed for dry fertilisers.
By the end of 1979, some 229 AT-301 had been built. In 1986 the AT-301 design was improved, including redesigning the wing. Before being superseded by the 401 in 1988, 863 AT-301s were built.

AT-300
Engine: Pratt and Whitney R-985-AN1, 450 hp
Wing span: 45 ft
MAUW: 7300 lb
Hopper cap: 300 USG

AT-301
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340, 600 hp

AT-302
Engine: LTP-101-A1A, 600 hp
Hopper cap: 320 USG

AT-302A
Engine: LTP-101-A1A, 600 hp
Hopper cap: 400 USG

Air Tractor AT-250

In July 1982, a smaller aircraft was flown, N3163L, the AT-250 with a 260 gallon hopper. The wingspan had been reduced to 41 ft 6 in and it was powered by the P&W R-985, the 450 hp radial used on the AT-300. Only one was built and it was sold to a US operator in March 1992.

Engine: P&W R-985, 450 hp
Wingspan: 41 ft 6 in / 12.5 m
Length: 8.2 m
Height: 2.6 m
MTOW: 4000 kg
Fuel Capacity: 817 lt
Hopper cap: 260 USG
Max Speed: 135 kt
Optimum Speed: 124 kt
Max Climb Rate: 1100 ft/min
Max Range: 550 Nm
Absolute Ceiling: 15000 ft
Optimum Ceiling: 12000 ft
Take Off Distance: 400 m
Seats: 1

Air-Tech Skylark

The Skylark is high-wing with a forward engine mounted on a cantilever beam fuselage. The forward-swept wing is rectangular with a tapered trapezoidal tip, and is supported by a single strut. Tail surfaces are classic, and tricycle landing gear is used. The engine and propeller are well forward of the cockpit. The forward-swept wing and under-wing cockpit location produce good visibility; pilot weight has minimal effect on the aircraft’s center of gravity; and the ideal spanwise lift distribution inhibits stalling of the wingtips, ensures against spinning and signals approaching stall by buffeting of the tail surfaces. Two people can easily disassemble the Skylark. By removing three bolts, the horizontal tail surfaces can be folded up against the fin. Each wing can be detached by removing only four bolts. The Skylark wing profile was designed by NASA using technology specially for use in slow-flying aircraft. Features in¬clude low drag in the range of useful air¬speeds, low stall speed, and mild stall characteristics (which are fully exploited by the forward-swept wing to produce a “spinproof” design). Aluminium sheet, extruded tubes and angles, all of general-aviation proven 2024 alloy are used throughout. Airtech uses modern adhesive bonding technology, along with blind and solid rivets. High-strength PVC foam, stamped aluminum ribs, silky-smooth Teflon bellcrank bearings, aluminum pushrods with spherical couplings, “Ceconite 7600 Process” aircraft fabric, precision molded fiberglass fairings, molded plexiglas windscreen all combine to satisfy the most demanding aviators. The standard airspeed indicator, altimeter, tachometer and toe-operated disk brakes are as comforting to the pilot as the contoured seat designed for those up to 6 feet, 6 inches, with “stick-and-rudder” controls. The Skylark uses the Konig SD-570 four-cylinder radial. Using a 2.8:1 reduction drive, the Skylark’s engine turns its 72-inch propeller at only 1500 rpm during takeoff; the result is exceptional static thrust and the virtual elimination of propeller noise.

Engine: Koenig SD-570 4-cyl radial two-stroke
Reduction: 2.8:1
Prop: 72 in

Airsport s.r.o Song LW / E-Song / Electric Aircraft Corporation ElectraFlyer-ULS

The Airsport Song is a Czech ultralight aircraft, designed by Marek Ivanov to comply with the LTF-L 120 kg, US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles and English SSDR categories. It features a cantilever low-wing, twin-booms, a single seat enclosed cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration. The Song has been produced in both a twin–tail and inverted V-tail layout. In most configurations, the Song includes a Galaxy GRS 3/270 ballistic parachute rescue system.

The Song is made from composites. Its polyhedral wing comes in two optional spans: 7.5 m (24.6 ft) (with flaperons) and 11.2 m (36.7 ft) (with ailerons and either spoilers or flaps). Standard engines available are the 20.5 hp (15 kW) Bailey V5 four-stroke and the 35 hp (26 kW) Verner JCV 360 four-stroke powerplant.

Randall Fishman of Electric Aircraft Corporation produces an electric-powered version of the Song, the Electric Aircraft Corporation ElectraFlyer-ULS.

Song SW-V
Engine: 1 × Bailey V5 Single Cylinder, 15.3 kW (20.5 hp)
Wingspan: 11.2 m (36 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 10.5 m2 (113 sq ft)
Length: 5.9 m (19 ft 4 in)
Empty weight: 110 kg (243 lb)
Gross weight: 220 kg (485 lb)
Fuel capacity: 25 litres (5.5 imp gal; 6.6 US gal)
Maximum speed: 201 km/h (125 mph, 109 kn)
Cruise speed: 80 km/h (50 mph, 43 kn)
Stall speed: 50 km/h (31 mph, 27 kn)
Never exceed speed: 140 km/h (87 mph, 76 kn)
Rate of climb: 1.5 m/s (300 ft/min) with Bailey V5, (5 m/s with Verner JCV 360)
Crew: one