AT-802

[Flying Pig]

http://www.802u.com/

Air Tractor is an American Company. Does the US use this? It looks like something you might see flying over Bolivia. The web site says its used by the US State Department.

[SATCOM]

The US does use it, for many purposes....

[CPTAUSRET]

A good friend of mine was involved in the purchase of those AC.

[FLYBOYJ]

A friend of mine flew one for a while. He clipped power lines while spraying somewhere along the US/ Canadian border. Tore off part of the vertical stabilizer and rudder. He didn't know it until he landed.

Get some tail wheel time!

[SATCOM]

It is strangely attractive....

[Flying Pig]

Originally Posted by FLYBOYJ

A friend of mine flew one for a while. He clipped power lines while spraying somewhere along the US/ Canadian border. Tore off part of the vertical stabilizer and rudder. He didn't know it until he landed.

Get some tail wheel time!

Yeah, I know the civilian version of the air tractor is used widely. They are like flies in Central CA. But thought the claim that it was used by the US State Dept. was interesting. According to the web site, they are using the armed verion. NIIICE! I want that job!

[WS-G]

Originally Posted by FLYBOYJ

Get some tail wheel time!

I second that. Expect to eat the cost of at least your first 50 or so hours of tailwheel time out of your own pocket. I did most of my primary training on the C140A shortly after high school, and racked up the remainder of that over the following years doing aerobatics on the Citabria, Super Decathlon and Pitts S2B — on the up side (financially), the J3/PA18 Cub is actually much more of an aeronautical workout in normal flight as well as being less expensive.

By the 50-hours-tailwheel mark, one or more of the glider clubs in/near your AO might talk to you about towing for them and building more tailwheel time that way.

Most ag operators flying Air Tractor or TurboThrush aircraft will tell you that you're uninsurable on those with less than 500 hours of tailwheel.

[GackMan]

I saw that somewhere else. It wasn't in the AF CAS thread, was it?

8,000 lbs and on station for 10 hrs at a low cost sounds pretty appealing.



With a retractable sensors package...

[FLYBOYJ]

21st Century Skyraider!

[kilo42]

They are used in a CN operation in Colombia. The cockpit area is armored with limited armor around the engine compartment. They used the Bronco for a while, but I think they are all de-commissioned now. Cost ratio kills a twin for negligible return in this case. They are looking at a COIN version of this aircraft as well. All public info.

[BKK]

UAE military has 12-16 of them, or on order.

A very crash survivable aircraft since it has a big roll cage inside. However, the guys I know who fly it say it is a POS "Like a Yugo with a Covette Engine".

[Dan90]

Looks kind of like a turbo propped, shortened IL-2.

[FlyingPen2]

Check out the Iomax Archangel. Based on the Thrush S2R-660. Air Tractor didn't want to make any airframe modifications on the production line so Iomax went to the Thrush. The two aircraft are designed by the same guy so you gotta look careful to be sure which one you are looking at. Very interesting aircraft and popular in UAE with lots of laser PGM. They don't put on a gun on it and discourage anyone from doing so. They want it to operate above MANPADS and small arms. Currently seeing combat in Yemen with UAE launching from air fields just outside that country.

http://www.iomax.net/archangel/

[Atrax]

Are these at all similar to those planes Erik Prince was reported to be hawking? https://fightersweep.com/5228/inside...e-erik-prince/

[Fofo]

One hell of a way to modify a crop duster, that's for sure.

The UAEAF sold at least a half dozen on their AT-802U's to the Jordanians a three years ago - not sure if the UAE even fly them anymore or got something else more to their liking.

AFSOC is helping out with getting the most out of the Air Tractors. With the Israelis selling sixteen of their modernized AH-1F's to the RJAF and the AT-802, I imagine the Daeshbags are being pulverized nicely by those two platforms.

(Budget cuts and what is seen as a more serious AD threat over Lebanon and Gaza from modern MANPADS made the IAF decide to phase-out their Cobras, and went all Apache attack helo fleet.)

http://www.janes.com/article/59773/a...p-capabilities

[Nimja]

I have been talking about these for years.. For the cost and maintenance of this type of plane, in semi-permissive environments (which is the "argument" against...) you could flood an area with them, bomb trucks everywhere. Persistent aviation fires at low cost..

[hawkdrver]

Having worked with 802s in a "semi-permissive" environment, my problem with them for this role has always been how easy they are to shoot. I've mentioned before that they would routinely get the shit shot out of them, as in double digits of holes, and that was from guys that generally only had up to about .50 cal for armament. Big and slow, not a good combo against dudes with SA-7s or even RPGs down low. They carry a lot of shit though. If they had any kind of escape system, I would be more supportive.

[Nimja]

Why are they flying low? You don't have to be that high to stay out of .50 cal range.. Even at some of the other ranges, with the use of available optics you can still keep an eye on things..

[hawkdrver]

Originally Posted by Nimja

Why are they flying low?

I read on the internet it happens sometimes.

[Nimja]

Really? Yeah and part of that is using the weapons system to its strengths.. There are things it can do well and things it can't. But when it's a tenth the price of a hornet and the operating costs are minimal.. that gives you depth. It may not do everything, but it can do a lot.. Again persistent aviation fires