Air Tractor AT-504 - trainee’s delight

Air Tractor | November 13, 2010

Air Tractor Inc cater to every personal needs of their customers. To attract more customers, they have even designed a trainer air plane for commercial purposes. The air plane in question is the Air Tractor AT-504. It is based on AT-500 family of air planes, built in aluminium, powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34AG turbodoller and features twin fuselages and a bigger chemical hopper. It is a 2 seater which does double duties as an agricultural aircraft. However its primary role is that of training trainee pilots. Having a side by side cockpit arrangement means that both the pilot as well as the trainee have access to the same level of information displayed.


The trainee as well as the trainer have their own miniature cockpits with complete flight controls but only the instruments as well as avionics are going to be shared by both. It is an extended form of classroom training combined with practical knowledge. The trainee also feels safe to know that his trainer is been relayed the same information that he has been getting from the aircraft. The Air Tractor Inc Air Tractor AT-504, when not doing training duties, can handle aerial photography, wild life excursion jaunts, census survey of animals as well as agriculture duties with aplomb. Supporting this claim is the fact that the first of the lot for the Air Tractor AT-504 airplanes was dispatched to Indonesia, where it was used for spraying pesticides in the nation’s sugar factories and then after that, training new pilots.

Air Tractor AT-504 is also quite an economical aircraft to own an maintain. This Air tractor is quite expensive as a first buy but when you look for it in the second hand market {you will find plenty}, you can bargain for it.

Tech Specifications for the Air Tractor AT-504

Engine Type : P&W PT9A-35AG

Engine S.H.P. : 751 @ 2,2300 RPM

Propeller : Hartzell HN-B3TN-3D/T10282NS+5

Take-Off Weight : 9,800 lbs. (4 254 kg)

Landing Weight : 8,300 lbs. (3 729 kg)

Empty Wt. w/ Spray Equipment : 4,960 lbs. (2 504 kg)

Useful Load : 5,740 lbs. (3 150 kg)

Hopper Capacity : 488 U.S. gal. (1 846 L)

Fuel Capacity : 219 U.S. gal. (830 L)

Wing Span : 53 ft. (15,89 m)

Wing Area : 314 sq. ft. (30,01 m2)

Main Wheel Size : 29.00 x 13

Tail Wheel Size : 5.00 x 7

Performance with Spray Equipment for the Air Tractor AT-504

Cruise Speed : 153 mph (246 kph) at 8,000 ft.

Typical Working/operating Speed : 123-145 mph (196-237 kph)

Flaps up, Stall Speed : 76 mph (123 kph) at 8,000 lbs (3 729 kg)

Flaps Down Stall Speed: 67 mph (106 kph) at 8,000 lbs (3 729 kg)

Stall Speed as and when Landing : 55 mph (87 kph)

Rate of Ascent : 863 fpm (260 mpm) at 9,700 lbs (4 454 kg)

Take Off Distance : 1,153 ft (352 m) at 9,620 lbs (4 454 kg)

Range, Economy Cruise at 8,000 ft. (2 448 m) : 609 mi. (978 km)

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