Range Map

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1

Tank-dry, where fuel runs out at catalogue's stored cruise burn.

Excludes reserves: range beyond the dashed circle requires a leaner cruise than what we store. Great-circle, still air, book cruise. Estimates only: always verify against the POH.

Payload vs. Range

Occupants:

Fuel on board

Cargo

nm

Range

Cargo is additional payload after occupants and baggage.
full tanks
Available Range / nm
Mission capable. This load flies with full fuel.
Fuel reduced by . left aboard for nm range.
Over max payload by . At this load it cannot lift a single occupant.

Trip Preview

Mission Profile

In production Aircraft available new or used
141
KTAS
Cruise Speed
550
nm
Max Range
12,500
ft
Service Ceiling
1
Occupants
2,586
lbs
Wet Payload
Endorsements & ratings:
  • High-Performance
  • Tailwheel
Air Tractor AT-402A (PT-XAH). Photo: Aeroprints.com, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Air Tractor AT-402A (PT-XAH). Photo: Aeroprints.com, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Air Tractor AT-402

Type certificated 1988 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet

Overview

The Air Tractor AT-402 is a single-seat agricultural aircraft built around a 400-gallon hopper and a 680-shp Pratt & Whitney PT6A-15AG turboprop, type-certificated in 1988 and still produced today in its refined AT-402B form. It sits a rung above Air Tractor’s early turbines as the entry point to the company’s modern Restricted-category line, swapping a piston radial for a turbine that starts fast, restarts between loads and holds power in heat and at altitude. The pop-culture footnote, that it was the real airplane behind Disney’s Planes protagonist, is incidental to a working tool.

For an aerial-application operator, the AT-402 earns its place when the job is small-to-medium acreage and the budget rules out a 500-series machine. Its 400-gallon hopper and short loaded takeoff suit tighter strips and shorter ferries than the heavier tractors, while the PT6A buys dispatch reliability a piston ag plane cannot. Operators step up to the 500-series, the single-seat AT-502B or the tandem AT-503, when acreage justifies a 500-gallon hopper; the 402 holds its ground when a smaller, lighter, cheaper-to-feed turbine covers the contracts they actually fly.

Key Features for GA Buyers

  • 400-gallon hopper. Sized for small-to-medium application work, with quick-load fittings for liquid or dry material and a metered gate for swath accuracy.
  • 680-shp PT6A-15AG. One of four PT6A variants the airframe accepts; the -15AG is the standard fit, flat-rated for consistent takeoff power on hot, high days.
  • Short loaded takeoff. The airframe gets a full hopper airborne in a short ground roll off rough farm strips.
  • AT-402B refinements. The current production variant adds Hoerner wingtips and aileron boost tabs for lighter control feel through the constant procedure turns of ag work, plus a heavier-gear 9,170-lb gross option.

Trade-offs

  • Single mission. A dedicated ag airframe in the Restricted category: no passenger cabin, and no for-hire transport or flight over congested areas.
  • Smaller hopper than the 500s. At 400 gallons it makes more ferry cycles per section than an AT-502 or AT-503, the price of its lower weight and cost.
  • Turbine acquisition cost. Jet-A and a turbine purchase price sit above a piston ag plane; the payback is reliability and lower long-run maintenance, not a cheaper hour.
  • Tailwheel and high power. Like every tractor it demands tailwheel proficiency and rewards experience in the low, heavy, turning regime where these airplanes work.

See Also

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Wingspan 51 ft
Height
8 ft
Length
27 ft
Parking area (ft²2)
1,952 ft²
Max Takeoff Weight
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 7,860 lbs
Max Landing Weight
7,000 lbs
Useful Load
3,725 lbs
Fuel Capacity
170 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed
Source: manufacturer figure 141 KTAS
Never-Exceed (VNE)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 122 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 122 KIAS
Approach Speed
82 KIAS
Stall, Clean (VS1)
66 KIAS
Range
550 NM
Service Ceiling
12,500 ft
Rate of Climb
1100 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
1,900 ft

Engine

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Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Air Tractor AT-402 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.

Similar to the Air Tractor AT-402

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