Air Tractor AT-502B vs Air Tractor AT-503

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Air Tractor AT-502B
52.0 × 33.2 ft 10.2 ft tall
1× Turboprop Conventional Unpressurized
Air Tractor AT-503
52.0 × 33.1 ft 10.3 ft tall
1× Turboprop Conventional Unpressurized

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Air Tractor AT-502BAir Tractor AT-503
Stall speed 71 kt72 kt
Approach speed 75 kt77 kt
Cruise speed 134 kt136 kt
Range 540 nm430 nm
Service ceiling ——
Rate of climb 870 fpm1180 fpm
Fuel burn 39.7 gph58.0 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Air Tractor AT-502B Jet A
39.7 gph
Baseline
540 nm range 3.4 nm/gal 170 gal usable $238 fuel/hr 4h 16m endurance
Air Tractor AT-502B: 39.7 gallons per hour at cruise, 540 nautical mile published range, 4 hour 16 minute endurance, 3.4 nautical miles per gallon.
Air Tractor AT-503 Jet A
58.0 gph
Baseline
430 nm range 2.3 nm/gal 170 gal usable $348 fuel/hr 2h 55m endurance
Air Tractor AT-503: 58.0 gallons per hour at cruise, 430 nautical mile published range, 2 hour 55 minute endurance, 2.3 nautical miles per gallon.
Jet A range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed

Bars show published still-air range. Endurance is usable fuel divided by the published cruise burn. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft
Density Altitude

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing ground roll

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Scale:
Air Tractor AT-502B Jet A
$451 /hr
Baseline
Air Tractor AT-502B: $451 per flight hour — fuel $238, maintenance and reserve $213.
Air Tractor AT-503 Jet A
$712 /hr
Baseline
Air Tractor AT-503: $712 per flight hour — fuel $348, maintenance and reserve $364.
Air Tractor AT-502B Turboprop
$13,158 /yr Baseline
Air Tractor AT-502B: $13,158 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $10,658, annual inspection $2,500.
Air Tractor AT-503 Turboprop
$13,130 /yr Baseline
Air Tractor AT-503: $13,130 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $10,630, annual inspection $2,500.

Estimates only. Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Each bar stacks your selected occupants against full fuel and the aircraft's useful-load limit (the black line). The open gap between them is spare payload. Add an occupant and the gap closes; once it's gone, fuel has to give.

lb

+ lb / pax

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1
Air Tractor AT-502B
1 / 1 seats 170 / 170 gal fuel 3,715 lb wet payload 4,854 lb useful 9,400 lb MTOW
Air Tractor AT-503
2 / 2 seats 170 / 170 gal fuel 4,691 lb wet payload 5,830 lb useful 10,480 lb MTOW

Occupants at 190 + 30 lb each. Fuel at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: · two fingers to move map

lb

+ lb / pax

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