New Air Tractor 802U surveillance aircraft flies across the Atlantic to Farnborough Airshow

The Air Tractor® AT-802U today completed its Trans-Atlantic flight, from Newfoundland to the Azores to England, to display its new capabilities at the 2010 Farnborough Air Show. Air Tractor and Air Tractor Military Dealer CAV (Combined Air Ventures LLC) will display the aircraft and demonstrate its new electronics, sensors and weapons. Visit us at Farnborough on the flight line, section F3.

The Air Tractor 802 is the largest agricultural aircraft in production and the most successful single-engine firefighting aircraft. The Air Tractor 802 "U" version at Farnborough displays military capabilities previously only available in aircraft that cost 5-10 times more. We know of no other aircraft that delivers so much capability and costs so little.

Air Tractor Military Dealer CAV specializes in creating customized, low-cost, turnkey utility aircraft solutions for border and coastal patrol, surveillance, counter-insurgency, oil spill clean up, and a wide variety of other applications.

Unlike other surveillance aircraft, the Air Tractor was built to be operated from farm fields and dirt roads, and maintained out of the back of a truck. It has the capability to reduce the cost and footprint of military operations while bringing state-of-the-art sensors and weapons to remote and austere locations. The exceptional 10-hour time on station of the Air Tractor and the massive 8,000-pound useful load allow the aircraft to carry a wide range of sensors and weapons.

The highlight of the AT-802U surveillance package is the L3 Wescam MX-15Di sensor turret and laser target designator. The MX-15 is integrated with large HD displays and the all-new glass cockpit. Real-time video can be transmitted directly to ground units using the L3 Rover datalink.

The aircraft weapons include the precision Mini Talon GPS-INS guided weapon, dual GAU-19 .50 caliber Gatling guns with over 2,900 rounds, Hellfire missiles, laser-guided 2.75-inch rocket pods, and 500- or 1,000-pound laser-guided bombs. See payload options at http://cavaviation.com/aircraft/.

Backed by a half-century of agricultural, fire fighting, and armored aircraft experience, the team at Air Tractor has a proven record of producing durable, uncomplicated, purpose-built, affordable aircraft. Their rugged aircraft design and manufacturing expertise is demonstrated by 2,500+ aircraft sales and exports to more than 30 countries.