Wow...Just wow.

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.



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
 
Perhaps this is what Texas is going to have control it's northern and southern borders after succession! ;)
 
Dude! Makes me just want to buy a used one and duct tape a few fifty cals on it.
 
I think Blackwater took delivery of a new Embraer last year....

ALXSuperTucano_5.jpg
 
This type of military project, until recently, would have been derided in the USA. Only super expensive flashy projects (that produce the most $$$ for the contractors who buidl them) got the go ahead from congress/DoD when its stuff like this that will help us in an unconventional war. It was a sad day when they stopped the A-10 line.
 
T-Cart could probably get a mechanic to put guns on an airtractor for a lot cheaper....


But that is AWESOME!!
 
This type of military project, until recently, would have been derided in the USA. Only super expensive flashy projects (that produce the most $$$ for the contractors who buidl them) got the go ahead from congress/DoD when its stuff like this that will help us in an unconventional war. It was a sad day when they stopped the A-10 line.

In the US, you say? Ask and ye shall receive....

banner_AT-6.jpg


from the friendly people of Wichita, KS.



http://www.hawkerbeechcraft.com/military/at-6_ab/R0816AT-6_LithoUpdate.pdf


Gun pods, LGBs, Hellfires, and 2.75 rockets -- it's like a flying Swiss Army knife (the Classic)!
 
That looks nice. I mean, the F-35 is supposed to replace the A-10? The A-10 had a really long dwell time, the fuel capacity of the F-35 won't be able to make a sortie last that long. Big turboprops with lots of guns and bombs is the answer, not like you need to outrun anything faster than a car when you have air supremacy.
 
Did anyone read the release? Ten hour loiter times with drop tanks! That is insane.

Besides, the Embraer, as well as the Beech have something that immediately disqualifies them from having cool-factor: A nosewheel. I'll take the butch taildragger from Olney for $2.0 million Alex..
 
Awesome! :nana2:


I was thinking that the next big thing from Olney would be an Air Tractor with a 1000 gallon hopper, not this.


Can't wait for pics!:rawk::rawk:
 
Several years ago Ayres Corporation, who was the manufacturer of the Thrush ag plane at the time, built a highly modified 510 Turbo Thrush with lots of bullet proof skins and windows and I am pretty sure it had some weapons on it. It was used for spraying (killing) the poppy fields in Columbia along with the Mohawk.

I have a friend that bought a used one this year and it is a stud. It has a -67 P&W on it with a 510 gallon hopper. All of the weapons have been removed. To give you a little perspective of the brute power of this thing, yesterday I was working off of the same airstrip as he was and we were hauling the same full loads. We were taking off downwind ( I know, I know) and he was breaking ground about 3/4 of the way down the strip. My plane has a -34 P&W and I was running to the very end and yanking the stick back to get it flying. His plane is a hoss. I want one.:D

I'll bet right now that if Leland Snow is building this thing you are talking about, it will be a tremendous success.
 
Several years ago Ayres Corporation, who was the manufacturer of the Thrush ag plane at the time, built a highly modified 510 Turbo Thrush with lots of bullet proof skins and windows and I am pretty sure it had some weapons on it. It was used for spraying (killing) the poppy fields in Columbia along with the Mohawk.

I have a friend that bought a used one this year and it is a stud. It has a -67 P&W on it with a 510 gallon hopper. All of the weapons have been removed. To give you a little perspective of the brute power of this thing, yesterday I was working off of the same airstrip as he was and we were hauling the same full loads. We were taking off downwind ( I know, I know) and he was breaking ground about 3/4 of the way down the strip. My plane has a -34 P&W and I was running to the very end and yanking the stick back to get it flying. His plane is a hoss. I want one.:D

I'll bet right now that if Leland Snow is building this thing you are talking about, it will be a tremendous success.

I know that you guys do things for a reason...but why were you taking off downwind?
 
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