Air Tractor Europe S.L.

AT-802 Fire Boss

Presentation

Equipped with Wipaire amphibious floats, Air Tractor’s AT-802 Fire Boss adds yet another dimension of capability for fire fighters. It can scoop 820 gallons of water in 30 seconds and be on its way again to the front lines in just minutes.

With the ability to work as a land-based aircraft or a scooper, the “Fire Boss” can drop an initial load of retardant then remain close to the fire by scooping water from a nearby lake.

Detailed Description

The AT-802 Fire Boss is a fast, agile single engine air tanker, designed from the tires up for rapid response firefighting. Powered by the reliable PT6A-67F turbine engine, the AT-802F has a ferry speed of almost 300 Km/h. Because the turbine engine requires no warm-up time, an AT-802F pilot can take on a full 820-gallon load (3100 liters) and be in the air, headed for the front lines in as few as five minutes after receiving a dispatch.

In contrast to heavy air tankers based at larger airfields, the AT-802 Fire Boss can land on short dirt strips, land with floats on nearby lakes, even work from county roads a few miles from the fire to dramatically reduce ferry times to and from the front lines. This short-field performance capability, fast ferry speeds and rapid turnaround on the ground can make a big difference when response time is critical.

Accuracy

With the AT-802 Fire Boss, an Incident Commander has the flexibility to choose the optimum coverage level to combat brush and grass fires or heavier forest canopies. Employing modern technology in computer controls and hydraulic power, the Pilot Interface System and patented AT-802 Fire Boss fire gate allow the pilot to select the coverage level, amount to be dropped and ground speed. The computer makes continuous door opening adjustments to deliver coverage levels with precision, even in conditions of changing airplane accelerations and turbulence. Because the computer controls the drop, the pilot is free to concentrate on flying the aircraft.

Combine the accurate coverage cababilities with the AT-802F’s maneuverability and it’s easy to understand why this aircraft is so effective at attacking fires in sensitive wildland urban interfaces, narrow flight corridors and confined terrain.