Air Tractor AT-802

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.

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 gal standard fuselage-mounted retardant tank, the Fire Boss can have optional 70 gal tanks in the floats. Operations with floats installed have been shown to produce a shorter and narrower retardant drop pattern than wheeled AT-802s.

Armed version
In response to the United States Air Force's LAAR program and the growing requirement for light counter-insurgency aircraft, 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 9000 lb of payload. A reinforced wing spar was certified for 12,000 hours of flight time, and the AT-802U was displayed in 2009 at the Paris Air Show.

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.

Variants

 * 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
 * AT-802F or AT-802AF - An aerial firefighting model 802 equipped with the Air Tractor Computerized Firegate
 * Fire Boss - A model 802 equipped with Wipaire amphibious floats and Air Tractor Computerized Firegate

Operators



 * Córdoba Province - Fire-fighting
 * Aerotech First Response (South Australia) - 7 AT-802
 * Dunn Aviation (Western Australia) - 9 AT-802
 * Kennedy Aviation (New South Wales) - 4 AT-802
 * Military Firefighters of Distrito Federal
 * Military Firefighters of Mato Grosso
 * Military of Burkina Faso 1 AT-802
 * Forest Protection Limited, New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources - 6 AT-802F and 1 AT-802A Fire Boss
 * Conair Group - 13 AT-802A Fire Boss
 * Combate de Incendios Forestales, Martinez Ridao Chile Ltda. AT-802A Fire Boss
 * Croatian Air Force - 5 AT-802A Fire Boss + 1 AT-802F
 * - Fire-fighting
 * Military of Gambia
 * Israeli Air Force - 7 AT-802F (of which 2 are Fire Boss)
 * Protezione Civile - 10 AT-802A Fire Boss
 * Protection and Rescue Directorate of the Republic of Macedonia - 3 AT-802A Fire Boss
 * 2 AT-802A Fire Boss
 * Ministry of Environment (CEGISA) - 3 AT-802A
 * Avialsa T35 - 15 AT-802 + 14 AT-802F
 * UAE
 * United Arab Emirates Air Force - 10 AT-802U
 * Aerospray, Inc.
 * Israeli Air Force - 7 AT-802F (of which 2 are Fire Boss)
 * Protezione Civile - 10 AT-802A Fire Boss
 * Protection and Rescue Directorate of the Republic of Macedonia - 3 AT-802A Fire Boss
 * 2 AT-802A Fire Boss
 * Ministry of Environment (CEGISA) - 3 AT-802A
 * Avialsa T35 - 15 AT-802 + 14 AT-802F
 * UAE
 * United Arab Emirates Air Force - 10 AT-802U
 * Aerospray, Inc.
 * Ministry of Environment (CEGISA) - 3 AT-802A
 * Avialsa T35 - 15 AT-802 + 14 AT-802F
 * UAE
 * United Arab Emirates Air Force - 10 AT-802U
 * Aerospray, Inc.
 * Aerospray, Inc.