Air Tractor OA-8 Longsword

History of the Air Tractor OA-8 Longsword

The OA-8 Longsword is one of many capable aircraft designs currently competing for the close air support (CAS) role in various countries. The aircraft is based on the US air tractor AT-802 modified by L-3 Technologies for the CAS role (detailed elsewhere on this website) and debuted during the 2017 Avalon Airshow (Australia).

The design combines an established air tractor farming/firefighting airframe with modern technology and weapons carrying capabilities to meet the ongoing demands of the battlefield. The AT-802 is a popular aircraft in the global civil market, in use from Argentina and Brazil to Kenya and Indonesia.

Because of the low-altitude flight envelope involved in the CAS role, the aircraft sits two people side by side in a heavy frame canopy and armored cockpit in its CAS role. The cockpit is located aft of the long-tube nose with a five-blade propeller unit powered by a Pratt & Whitney engine unit.

The rear wing adopts a traditional single-tail arrangement. The wing master planes are set low and each has multiple hardpoints. Another pair of hard points can be seen under the belly, and a set of optics is mounted under the nose. The landing gear is fixed and moving ("tail" configuration).

Supported weapons will cover a wide range of ammunition and ordnance options, including cannon pods, cannon pods, rocket pods (unguided rockets), and conventionally thrown bombs (smart and dud). Weapon loads can reach 6,200 lbs.

The Longsword has several notable features: strong flight characteristics and low-altitude handling, a 400-nautical-mile range, and a 10-hour mission window. It can stay at the station for more than five hours.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes