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Air Tractor AT-802

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AT-802
Air Tractor AT-802
Role Agricultural / Fire-fighting aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Air Tractor
First flight 1990

The Air Tractor AT-802 is an agricultural aircraft that may also be adapted into fire-fighting or armed versions. It first flew in the United States in October 1990 and is manufactured by Air Tractor Inc. The AT-802 carries a chemical hopper between the engine firewall and the cockpit and another one under the belly. In the U.S., it is considered a Type III SEAT, or Single Engine Air Tanker.[1]

Development

In its standard configuration, the aircraft utilizes conventional landing gear (two main wheels and a tail wheel). However, a number of aircraft have been converted to the Fire Boss aerial firefighting configuration, which utilizes Wipaire 10000 amphibious floats, so that it can land on a traditional runway or on water. The Fire Boss can scoop water from a lake or river for use on a fire. In addition to the 820 US gallons (3,100 L)[2] standard fuselage-mounted retardant tank, the Fire Boss can have optional 35 US gallons (130 L) foam tanks in the floats.[3] Operations with floats installed have been shown to produce a shorter and narrower retardant drop pattern than wheeled AT-802s.[4]

Armed version

AT-802U prototype at Paris Air Show

In response to the United States Air Force's LAAR program and the growing requirement for light counter-insurgency aircraft,[5] Air Tractor developed an armed model, the AT-802U, in 2008, with engine and cockpit armor, a bulletproof windscreen, self-sealing fuel tanks, and structural reinforcements for the carriage of 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) of payload. A reinforced wing spar was certified for 12,000 hours of flight time,[6] and the AT-802U was displayed in 2009 at the Paris Air Show.[7]

The AT-802 has also been used in counter-drug operations in the USSOUTHCOM AOR by the U.S. Department of State as a delivery vehicle for herbicides and defoliants over narcotics production facilities.

Ten AT-802i were converted by IOMAX USA into an armed configuration with Roketsan Cirit 2.75" rockets and guided bombs [8] for the UAE Air Force. The UAE operated them until November 2015[8] when they were replaced by the first three of 24 Archangels on order from Iomax.[9] The Archangel is based on a similar cropduster airframe, that of the Thrush Model 660,[10] however to create the Archangel the basic Model 660 undergoes a much more extensive rebuild in the course of its militarization. Six of the UAE AT-802i were transferred to the Jordanian Air Force.[11] with a further three being transferred to the Yemeni Government Forces where they have been used in the 2015 Yemeni Civil War.[8] Reports place Emirati aircraft in Libya flown by contract pilots.[12]

In January 2017, the US State Department approved a deal for twelve AT-802 aircraft for the Kenya Defence Forces,[13] although as of June 2017 a contract for the proposed sale had not been signed.[14]

Variants

The AT-802L Longsword at Paris Air Show 2017
  • AT-802 - two seat (tandem) cockpit
  • AT-802A - single-seat cockpit
  • AT-802U - two seat (tandem) heavily armored military version, modified with sensors and reinforced for weapons carriage[15]
  • AT-802F or AT-802AF - An aerial firefighting model 802 equipped with the Air Tractor Computerized Firegate[16] designed/developed/serviced by Trotter Controls Inc.[17]
A Fire Boss on floats dropping its load
    • Fire Boss - AT-802F equipped with Wipaire amphibious floats for operations from land or water
  • AT-802L Longsword - An ISR and light-attack aircraft based on AT-802U, which developed by L3 Platform Integration collaboration with Air Tractor.[18] L3 rebranded it as OA-8 Longsword for Asia-Pacific region.[19]

Operators

Civil

The aircraft is popular with aerial application operators.

Military and government

Montenegrin police AT-802A Fire Boss
Israeli AT-802F in a firefighting drill
 Argentina
 Brazil
 Burkina Faso
 Canada
 Chile
 Colombia
 Croatia
 Egypt
 Gambia
 Israel
  • Israeli Air Force - 14 AT-802F, purchased second-hand from Spain (of which 2 formerly were Fire Boss, but exchanged for standard configuration aircraft)[31][32] 1 crashed due to mechanical malfunction.[33]
 Italy
 Jordan
  • Jordanian Air Force - 6 IOMAX AT-802i Block 1 being upgraded to armed Block 2 standard, of which 1 upgraded aircraft delivered as of January 2018[34][35] and 4 AT-802s supplied by L-3 Corporation and originally intended for Yemen.[36]
 North Macedonia
  • Protection and Rescue Directorate of Macedonia - 3 AT-802A Fire Boss
 Portugal
 Spain
  • Ministry of Environment (CEGISA) - 3 AT-802A[38]
  • Avialsa T35 - 15 AT-802 + 14 AT-802F [39]
 Yemen
 Indonesia

Potential operators

 Kenya

Former operators

 UAE

Specifications (AT-802)

Three Croatian AT-802F Fire Bosses

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004[48]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Two
  • Capacity: 820 US Gal (3,104 L) of chemicals
  • Aspect ratio: 8.8:1

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Notes
  1. ^ "Interagency Standards for Fire and Aviation Operations 2007, Chapter 17" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ AT-802 Fire Boss Factsheet Archived 2011-09-09 at the Wayback Machine at http://www.airtractoreurope.com
  3. ^ Wipaire Fire Boss Service Manual Archived 2008-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Evaluation of Long Term Retardant Drop Patterns from Air Tractor 802 Amphibious Float and Wheel Equipped Aircraft", Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada, February 2006
  5. ^ Trimble, Stephen. "PARIS AIR SHOW: Cropduster-turned-gunship makes Le Bourget debut". flightglobal.com. 15 June 2009. retrieved 7 November 2010.
  6. ^ Exciting Product Developments In 2009 Archived 2010-06-16 at the Wayback Machine. airtractor (2010-02-10). Retrieved on 2010-11-04.
  7. ^ PHOTOS: New gunship flies to Paris Air Show debut - The DEW Line. Flightglobal.com. Retrieved on 2010-11-04.
  8. ^ a b c "Yemen Air Force Flying ex-UAE AT 802 BPAs". AirForces Monthly. Key Publishing. December 2015.
  9. ^ "Third UAE Archangel delivered". AirForces Monthly. Key Publishing. December 2015.
  10. ^ "Iomax Archangel". Iomax.
  11. ^ Archangel makes show debut - Flightglobal.com, 7 November 2015
  12. ^ Delalande, Arnaud (14 January 2017). "Erik Prince's Mercenaries Are Bombing Libya". War Is Boring. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  13. ^ US State Department approves $1.8 billion in arms deals. Flightglobal.com. Retrieved on 2017-01-17.
  14. ^ Stevenson, Beth (20 June 2017). "Paris: Longsword light attack and surveilance aircraft makes its debut". Flightglobal. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  15. ^ Photos: Air Tractor AT-802U Air Truck Aircraft Pictures. Airliners.net (2009-06-18). Retrieved on 2010-11-04.
  16. ^ Air Tractor. "AT802A".
  17. ^ Trotter Controls Inc
  18. ^ L3 Platform Integration. "AT-802L Longsword™".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ Gareth, Jennings (2017-03-01). "Avalon 2017: L3 and Air Tractor marketing AT-802L armed turboprop as OA-8 Longsword". Melbourne: IHS Jane's. Retrieved 2017-05-02.
  20. ^ Hoyle Flight International 13–19 December 2011, p. 35.
  21. ^ "N.W.T. gov't spends $26M on 8 new Fireboss water bombers". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  22. ^ "Chilean Government acquires modern planes to fight forest fires".
  23. ^ "La Aviación de la Policía Nacional ahora cuenta con aviones bomberos para combatir incendios forestales".
  24. ^ "La Aviación de la Policía Nacional ahora cuenta con aviones bomberos para combatir incendios forestales".
  25. ^ "3 million euro worth Air Tractor arrived at Zemunik". www.zadarskilist.hr. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
  26. ^ "AT 802 Fire Boss training commences in Zemunik". Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  27. ^ "Abu Dhabi IDEX Show Highlights Key UAE Developments". ainonline.com. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  28. ^ "The AT-802U has been acquired by the UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Kenya". shephardmedia.com. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  29. ^ Binnie, Jeremy (22 January 2018). "AT-802 aircraft seen at Egyptian airbase". IHS Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 23 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ Hoyle Flight International 13–19 December 2011, p. 39.
  31. ^ Egozi, Arie (2011-08-06). "Israel's new firefighting squadron". Flightglobal. Retrieved 2011-09-07.
  32. ^ "Israel Firefighting Squadron Acquires More Air Tractor AT-802F Firebombers". Air Tractor News. 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  33. ^ טייסת הכיבוי קורקעה בעקבות התרסקות מטוס
  34. ^ Ayton Air International February 2017, p. 33.
  35. ^ Jennings, Gareth (25 January 2018). "Jordan receives first upgraded AT-802 turboprop, five more to follow". IHS Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  36. ^ "Jordanian Border Patrol Aircraft in Malta". Air International. Vol. 94, no. 2. February 2018. p. 14. ISSN 0306-5634.
  37. ^ http://www.dn.pt/edicao-do-dia/12-jul-2018/interior/fogos-portugal-precisa-de-adquirir-quatro-avioes-canadair-9565824.html
  38. ^ Keijsper 2008, pp. 43.
  39. ^ "Flota de Aviones". Avialsa. Archived from the original on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2011-09-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ http://www.janes.com/article/55635/yemeni-pilots-carry-out-airstrikes-with-at-802-turboprops
  41. ^ Niak ke Sayap Pesawat Pengangkut BBM, Jokowi Hampir Jatuh
  42. ^ http://www.nation.co.ke/news/US-government-approves-deal/1056-3784928-n4fmyz/index.html
  43. ^ Giangreco, Leigh (24 January 2017). "US State Department approves $1.8 billion in arms deals". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  44. ^ Jennings, Gareth (24 January 2017). "Kenya to field Air Tractor light attack turboprops". IHS Jane's 360. London. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  45. ^ Forrester, Anna (24 January 2017). "L3 Division Named Prime in Proposed $418M Foreign Military Sale of Air Tractors to Kenya". GovConWire. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  46. ^ Nkala, Oscar (26 February 2018). "Kenya fails to commit to acquisition of 12 Air Tractors from US". Defence Web. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  47. ^ "UAE AT-802 light strike turboprops flying out of Saudi airbase".
  48. ^ Jackson 2003, pp. 509–510.
Bibliography
  • Ayton, Mark. "Archangel: Crop Duster to Tank Buster". Air International, Vol. 92, No. 2, February 2017. pp. 24–33. ISSN 0306-5634.
  • Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, 13–19 December 2011. pp. 26–52.
  • Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.
  • Keijsper, Gerard. "Water-Bombers Required!" Air Forces Monthly, London: Key Publishing, July 2008 Issue.
  • Simpson, R. W. (1995). Airlife's General Aviation. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. pp. 31–32.
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