Air Tractor AT-802A

The Air Tractor AT-802 is a fire-fighting aircraft that first flew in the United States in October 1990. The AT-802 carries a chemical hopper between the engine firewall and the cockpit and another one under the belly. In the U.S., it is considered a Type 4 SEAT, or Single Engine Air Tanker. As of 2007, it is the largest agricultural-type aircraft to enter production.

In its standard configuration, the aircraft utilizes conventional landing gear (two main wheels and a tail wheel), however, a number of aircraft have been converted to the Fire Boss configuration, which utilizes Wipaire 10000 amphibious floats, so that it can land on a traditional runway or on water. In addition, the Fire Boss can scoop water from a lake or river for use on a fire. In addition to the standard fuselage-mounted retardant tank, the Fire Boss has tanks in the floats. Operations with floats installed have been shown to produce a shorter and narrower retardant drop pattern than wheeled AT-802s.