WacoFan
Bigly
I was looking over one of my other favorite sites and came upon this press release from one of my favorite companies - Air Tractor.
If this is true...wow. I will have to leave my family and head to whatever banana republic buys these for COIN operations. This is like a wet-dream for me: Heavily armed taildraggers of over 1,500 hp.
If this is true...wow. I will have to leave my family and head to whatever banana republic buys these for COIN operations. This is like a wet-dream for me: Heavily armed taildraggers of over 1,500 hp.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Turboprop Gunship Debuts At Paris Air Show
Olney, TEXAS – A new single-engine turboprop utility aircraft prototype makes it debut June 15-21 at the 2009 International Paris Air Show, and will be configured for a military direct fire support role in asymmetrical warfare theatres of operation. The Air Truck AT-802U, manufactured by a division of ag plane manufacturer, Air Tractor, Inc., is being marketed as a versatile aerial platform designed to perform counter-insurgency close air support and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The AT-802U is based on the popular Air Tractor AT-802 ag plane, but has been significantly modified for a light attack capability against fixed, stationary and moving soft targets. The AT-802U will be displayed at the Paris Air Show configured with dual 12.7 mm GAU-19/A three-barrel Gatling guns, M260 rocket launchers, and representative MK-82 bombs. It can also be configured to carry more advanced weapon systems, including the Lockheed Martin Hellfire II, DAGR laser guided rockets, and Sniper XR surveillance and targeting pod systems.
The AT-802U is equipped with the Wulfsberg Flexcomm tactical modular multi-band airborne FM/AM radio communications system. This enables the AT-802U pilot to maintain secure radio communications with practically any radio system utilized by ground units.
An infrared camera and turret system on the AT-802U, with a secure video downlink, allows commanders to see the battle space in real time. The downlink system will be ROVER compatible allowing the aircraft to transmit the live video feed to a joint terminal attack controller on the ground.
The Air Truck AT-802U can also be configured for an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role at low and medium altitudes. Its cockpit-forward payload area is configurable for an auxiliary fuel tank. Additionally, drop tanks can be added on wing/fuselage hard points to enable loiter times of more than ten hours.
The pilot in the AT-802U high-visibility cockpit commands a level of battlespace situational awareness that unmanned aircraft with “soda straw” sensor views simply cannot match. The 802U has the ability to provide a “persistent stare, pervasive knowledge” capability that creates significant advantages for a counter-insurgency force. It can be a communications node for instant command and control with ground forces or other air assets.
The AT-802U is equipped with the AAR-47/ALE-47 countermeasures suite for defense against IR missile threats.
Other features of the AT-802U include:
● Ballistic glass and cockpit armor
● Self-sealing fuel tanks & emergency fuel tank shut-off
● AmSafe Inflatable Restraint system integrated with a 5-point harness
● Crash-worthy airframe
● Oxygen system and air conditioner
● Large and reconfigurable fuel system
● Rough strip low drag landing gear
● Lightning protection
Simple yet rugged design, reliable flight systems, robust electrical system and the proven Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67F turbine engine equipped with a high dust environment air induction system, help the AT-802U achieve a low daily operation cost. The aircraft has a very low logistics footprint and requires minimal ground support equipment.
For more information about the Air Truck AT-802U, contact Leland Snow, President or Lee Jackson, Design Engineer at Air Tractor, Inc. Telephone: 940-564-5616. Email: airmail@airtractor.com