Air Tractor foresees opportunities in Asia's aerial segment
The father of the first modern aerial spray airplane, Leland Snow, established Air Tractor in 1974 to market his innovative agricultural aviation techniques in rural Texas. Reaping 40 years of success, Air Tractor now offers an extensive range of agricultural airplanes that can be configured into firefighting aircraft or militarised models.
The company soars high in more than 30 countries worldwide, with roughly half of sales coming from overseas markets such as Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and the Asia-Pacific, including China, Malaysia and Indonesia. Air Tractor has four base plane model series running on a Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engine - AT-402, AT-502, AT-602 and AT-802. These multirole aircraft have varying configurations and hopper capacities.
The world's biggest agricultural aircraft, AT-802A, presents an ideal solution for large-scale farming, particularly in rice-, corn- and wheat-growing countries. AT-802A is a helpful tool for aerial treatment of plant diseases and pest control for greater harvest yields.
AT-802F, on the other hand, is an aerial firefighting asset that can operate on small runways for a quicker response time. Highly manoeuvrable, it can fly swiftly through mountainous terrain and tight corridors. Its automated fire gate system allows for greater accuracy.
To meet the expanding demand for military procurements, the company designed AT-802U, a light-attack aircraft for patrolling and counterinsurgency operations. It is loaded with engine and cockpit armour, providing excellent ballistic protection, and can support 10-hour missions. Compared to jet fighters, AT-802U is an economical solution that requires less maintenance.
Air Tractor targets Asian markets for sales opportunities. In June, the company delivered six dual-use, firefighting and agricultural spray aircraft to Jiamusi in China. In Southeast Asia, the company sees great potential for its AT-802U in surveillance.
