Air Tractor's Menker on Future Prospects for AT-802U Multi-Mission Aircraft

Tom Menker, business development & government relations representative at Air Tractor discusses the company's AT-802U multi-mission aircraft, why its ISR capabilities make it a good fit for the US Air Force despite its elimination from the service's light-attack experiment aircraft competition, the aircraft's specifications and more during a May 18, 2018, interview with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor and Host Vago Muradian at the National Defense Industrial Association's 2018 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, held May 21-24 in Tampa, Fla. Our coverage was sponsored by FLIR Systems.

[@LydellAaron]

Highly underrated discussion. Very good talk. Interesting.

[@BlackWarriorLures]

So is he saying this aircraft is not aerobatic capable or that it doesn't met the aerobatic requirements set by the U.S. Air Force?

[@jasevalentine4997]

He's more or less inferring some former fighter type, bomber puke, or staff weinie doesn't have the background to write the requirements actually needed to fill the mission requirements

[@kdrapertrucker]

Oh, the air tractor is certainly aerobatic, the manuvers they need to work a field demand it.

[@BlackWarriorLures]

Nice! I see these all this time dusting the corn fields in my area.

[@imsteevin]

These just got approved so if you see a gray one with lots hanging off the wings loooook out 😆

[@BlackWarriorLures]

@@imsteevin hehe!

[@tyalexander8154]

Would it be possible to upgrade the P51 mustang and bring that back

[@harrishunter9923]

That would be awesome

[@RobertMayfair]

More like a modern day Stuka

[@alexands1261]

why not bring back McDonald Douglas Skyraider, that was used in Korea and Vietnam?

[@orangebottle9657]

Turboprop is better. Modifying an A1 to meet modern spec would be more expensive and difficult than just using a modern platform.

[@aeromaniac471]

Is the IOMAX the same aircraft

[@sh4969]

Ukraine should get the Air Tractor for the war with Russia better than f16s , don't need a 1000 meter runway to take off.

[@peterlaurie1247]

Got Ukraine written all over it, but nobody listening, unfortunately.

[@presidentpotato222]

Ukraine gets NOTHING

[@cadeflanery4548]

No ejection seat? Because you’re gonna need it.

[@HoldenCaulfeelz]

It's a crop duster

[@m33turmak3r]

Looks like an IOMAX Archangle

[@MarkMartin-h9z]

It’s Areobatics not Acrobatics!!

[@stryk3r]

wait…I’m a crop duster….can I fly this? lol

[@มดแดง-ฃ3ข]

บางรายการเขาอาจจะไม่เอาโดยเฉพาะระบบอาวุธอิเล็กทรอนิกส์แบบตะวันตกมันอาจจะมีการจัดหายากคงเป็นแบบผสมผสานรุ่นดัดแปลงพิเศษรหัสลงท้ายTMฉันตั้งชื่อเอง

[@cosmiccharlie8294]

This is aimed directly at The People fools.

[@มดแดง-ฃ3ข]

ตอนนั้นรัสเซียเล่นข้างเดียวเลยไฟล์ ยูเครนแทบไม่มีอะไร

[@มดแดง-ฃ3ข]

หวังว่าเราคงไม่ได้ยุ่งเกี่ยวกันอีกนะ เจ้าชายท่านก็ไม่ได้สนใจอยากจะยุ่งเกี่ยวข้องแวะอีกต่อไปรวมทั้งตัวฉันด้วย

[@mikestephens4442]

In the future, it will be a failure because it doesn’t meet any requirements except for a few narrow undefined, possibly an unlikely scenarios

[@rbhillner]

The intro. babbling nearly overpowered my ability to stay with this video. There is something to be said for saying, keep it simple!

[@jameslanning8405]

Wonder how the Chinese will take seeing this thing flying around in Africa? America may need such an aircraft along the southern border, with at least a 6 hour loyter time. Who sees this as a step backwards, 'militarily?' With the world moving forward with 5th-6th generation, often stealth, multi-role, fighter aircraft, why is the US moving to slower, lower, prop driven aircraft, no matter the loadout? This is like "Final Countdown," when the USS Nimitz, sails through a time warp into WWII and has moder jets going head to head with Japanese Zeros and Kates. This aircraft is not intended for air to air dogfighting use. It's supposed to be a platform for ground reconocents and ground targets. While it's loyter time is pretty good, it's weapons loadout will make it fairly limited in offensive tasks. I guess we'll have to hope the enemy will be equally limited in size and scope...

[@garyodle5663]

We are doing both. We are moving ahead with modifying the F-16 with the Block 70 model, the F-15 with the F-15X, and the new B-21 bomber. But not all missions require all of that. This is specifically built for ground attack, reconnaissance, and surveillance mission in a permissive air environment. Don't spend any more than you have to but spend enough to really get the job done. That's what the Sky Warden does.

[@LuizCarlosMartini-wg7jl]

Na guerra assimétrica, você precisa ter habilidades instintivas, coisas que as aeronaves mais avançadas não conseguem proporcionar aos seus pilotos. Esta aeronave é forte, ágil, bem equipada, velocidade adequada para operar a baixas altitudes. Acredito que pode ser também eficiente, em apoio às operações mais convencionais, na retaguarda. Para atender, também, as necessidades de patrulhamento com baixo orçamento, fronteiras secas e molhadas.

[@s.k.6616]

They got the contract.

[@imsteevin]

Can't wait to start seeing these in Tulsa and OKC!

[@johnhand3754]

Cool thing about the AT-802U is that it can be re-configured to disperse low level Agent Orange loads with minimum time constraints!