Pratt & Whitney Canada’s dedication to the powerplant needs of aerial application (Ag) customers recognizes the vital role Ag operators play in a modern, healthy and prosperous society. Whether it is increasing crop yields, combatting invasive plants and insects, or fighting forest fires, Ag operators help both feed the world and protect it.
Our customer service and powerplant experts will attend this year’s National Agricultural Aviation Association’s Ag Aviation Expo, November 18-21 in Fort Worth, Texas, as they have for the past many years. P&WC is also a long-time supporter of the NAAA’s two research, educational and safety initiatives – NAAREF and PAASS, both of which have made major strides in enhancing safety and best practices in agricultural aviation.
When we started working with Ag OEMs and operators in the 1980s, the industry already had 60 years under its belt. The original 60 percent boost in productivity operators achieved by adopting PT6A turbine engines over the previous piston engine technology has continued to improve. Over the years we have produced eight engine models for the ag aviation industry, and we have delivered more than 4,100 Ag engines in total. These engines range in power from 550 shaft horsepower (SHP) to 1,700 SHP;
the latest being the PT6A-140AG.
An Impressive Lineup
When buying an Air Tractor AT-802A aircraft, Ag operators can choose between our PT6A-65AG engine or the PT6A-67AG engine depending on their needs. According to Air Tractor, the AT802 is the largest single-engine aircraft in the world with a payload of 9,249 pounds and a whopper of a hopper at 800 gallons. Air Tractor also has a firefighting version of the aircraft – the AT-802F Fire Boss – equipped with floats and powered by the PT6A-67F engine, one of the most powerful in the PT6A family.
A more recent addition to the Air Tractor family is the 502XP, powered by the PT6A-140AG. Equipped with a 500-gallon hopper, the aircraft can take off with just 1,308 feet of runway.
Thrush Aircraft has also been keeping our engine fleet busy. The Thrush 510P with a 510-gallon hopper capacity relies on the PT6A-34AG, while the Thrush 510P+ uses the more powerful PT6A-140AG.
Thrush’s larger 710P with a 710-gallon hopper capacity comes with three different, progressively more powerful, engine options: the PT6A-60AG, the PT6A-65AG, or the PT6A-67AG.
New P&WCSMART Offers
Responding to the special needs of Ag operators, P&WC recently introduced three new P&WCSMART services for the PT6A-34AG engine. The new solutions include: a Flat-Rate Overhaul program which guarantees the overhaul price, a Flat-Rate Engine Exchange program, and a Propeller Strike program which covers required repair parts and labor at a set price point.
PT6A Seminar
P&WC will stage a day-long PT6A engine seminar for IA (inspection authorization) renewal. The seminar will run from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm on Sunday, November 17. Visit us during the show, booth 1723.
