Air Tractor AT-502B vs Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave

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 ft × 33 ft ⭥ 10 ft
1× Turboprop Conventional Unpressurized
Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave
39 ft × 28 ft ⭥ 8 ft
1× Piston Conventional Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

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

Mission performance specifications
Specification Air Tractor AT-502BPiper PA-36 Pawnee Brave
Stall speed 71 kt62 kt
Approach speed 75 kt80 kt
Cruise speed 134 kt104 kt
Range 540 nm392 nm
Service ceiling —15000 ft
Rate of climb 870 fpm375 fpm
Fuel burn 39.7 gph18.0 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 gph at cruise, 540 nautical mile published range, 4 hour 16 minute endurance, 3.4 nautical miles per gallon.
Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave Avgas
18.0 gph
Baseline
392 nm range 5.8 nm/gal 86 gal usable $117 fuel/hr 4h 46m endurance
Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave: 18.0 gph at cruise, 392 nautical mile published range, 4 hour 46 minute endurance, 5.8 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range Jet A range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. 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

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing over 50 ft obstacle

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

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

Hourly direct and annual fixed 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.
Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave Avgas
$166 /hr
Baseline
Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave: $166 per flight hour — fuel $117, maintenance and reserve $49.
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.
Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave Piston
$12,037 /yr Baseline
Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave: $12,037 per year — insurance $1,900, hangar $7,137, annual inspection $3,000.

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

+ cargo
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Air Tractor AT-502B Turboprop
1 / 1 seats cargo 170 gal / 170 gal fuel 3,715 lbs wet payload 4,854 lbs useful 9,400 lbs MTOW
Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave Piston
1 / 1 seats cargo 86 gal / 86 gal fuel 1,594 lbs wet payload 2,110 lbs useful 4,400 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: → · two fingers to move map

+ cargo
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1

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