Student Pilot

Lower wing loading, shorter span, quicker roll rate (aileron configuration depending). Cabin looks roomy.

Looks a neat design

Air Tractor 802 empty weight 3T, carries a 3 T load and has 1 T of fuel. A lot of AG aircraft can carry their own weight.

The report stated the pilot almost certainly wasn't in the seat.

A 3 hectare load? That's a lot of loads on a 1200 hectare block 😜 Yes the technology is possible to have a high capacity aircraft flying autonomously, even spray. In real life it's just not going to happen. There are so many variables to try and allow for that it's an immensely complex task. Drones are pushed as an answer where any person can do these involved and complicated jobs. The drone operator will have a wide chemical knowledge, calibration skills, expertise with working gps and programming, weather insight with regard to chemical application and associated drift problems. That's just scratching the surface, obviously an intimate understanding on computer programming and drone aerodynamics would be a pre requisite. How much an hour do you think such a person would be paid? $50? $100? What do you think an agricultural pilot is paid? The technology is here, there are capable machines available. The reality of drones replacing all flying industry tasks is a long way away. Please post where broad acre spraying (commercially viable) is done by drones.

Drones have come a long way in the last few years but still can't compete broad acre application. A lot is claimed of drone productivity with all sorts of grand totals quoted. Most labeled (legal requirement) total volume spray application rates are way heavier than the figures that are quoted in application rates of drones. Normal aerial application rates are 30 to 40 litres total volume per hectare. The chemical is mixed with a carrier of water or oil, chem rates can be as little as ml/ha to 4 or 5 litres to the hectare with the rest of the volume made up of the carrier. A very expensive working drone load would be 40 litres. There are ones that carry more but are very very expensive. Most of the spray figures quoted are below the labelled total volume/hectare.

That book that does the world records has a lot to answer for. There are great feats and records but it has now turned into a farce. The most hats worn at one time has as much relevance as first to fly a Cessna on a Tuesday wearing a purple flight suit.

I liked those big T+B's they had in older aircraft like Tigers. Very sensitive, they used to fly IFR with just airspeed, T+B and an altimeter. Better than me......

Seems the way of the world, looking at close to 100k for overhaul of most 6 cyl aircraft engines now.

Used to use chain saw 2 stroke, upped the rate to 35/40 depending on plug chop from cruise. That's from a long time ago. Used in Robyn 440, Rotax's 447, 503 and 582. Memory could be unreliable 😄

Originally for training, now for hire and reward. Big market in joy flights, something like 5 flying in England?

There would be a Market if they were cheap enough but the price is something like 100k US. It is a pretty aircraft in the Miles Hawk sort of classic Deco style.

When everything old is new again? Seems a lot of problems of this subject has solved many times over. Fadec is talked about in newer aircraft, the FW190 from a couple of years ago (80) had a single lever throttle/propellor. The mighty Constellation had a very complicated engineers panel that involved all sorts of trickery to delay detonation on the Wright compounds. Water injection was involved in a lot of WW2 aircraft to delay detonation at higher power settings. Even lean of peak is not a new thing with Lindberg teaching rookie pilots how to get more range from Pratt 2800's in Corsairs during the pacific battles.

On a warm summers evening, somewhere in Cyprus

Aircraft Nev, they are Aircraft not planes 😜 A few aeronauts I have known speak highly of the 727, that and the Dreamliner as the nicest aircraft to fly.