Air Tractor 401 600 HP TRACE Engine

Pilot - Tom Bryce 38 years experience Ag Pilot with 18500 hours (Pilot + IA and instructor), 16 years flying experience in Illinois. 

June 12th, 2007 (Tuesday) - Tom Bryce arrived in Midland, TX.   After very warm welcomes from TRACE employees, he wanted to see the TRACE Air Tractor that he would be spending the next 4 weeks in from daylight until dark.  His comment was that it was like seeing an old friend he said.  After his test flight, he was excited and ready to go.

June 13th 2007 (Wednesday) Tom Bryce left heading northeast to the State of Illinois.  Northeast of Dallas Texas, Tom called in on his first fuel stop.   He said, “Bob, it still runs like a sewing machine.  Engine doing great.”  The plan was to fly straight east to get by thunderstorms to his north.  The next phone call from Tom was that he was home.  He reported a great 7 hour flight with no problems.  Engine was operated at 3500 RPM and 30 inches Manifold Pressure running about 32 gallons per hour for the flight.  The ground speed was 120 knots. 

June 14th through June 21st, 2007 - The next week was spent in “Nascar” mode to get the TRACE Air Tractor ready to spray and work hard. (Installation of Satloc and spray booms)
 
June 22nd, 2007 (Friday) - Tom is very excited to get going with 3 fields to spray before dark.  The first field was 45 miles away on the Illinois River.  Tom said it started to mist rain halfway through the field.  He had to fly around 15 minutes for the clouds to move by before he could finish the field properly.  Tom took a second load and sprayed two more fields before dark.  He said the TRACE Air Tractor was running great.

June 23rd, 2007 (Saturday) -   Tom called reporting a full day of work ahead of him.  He is moving the power setting up to 3800 RPM and 35 inches Manifold Pressure.  He reported plane felt more powerful at that setting.  I told him to use his own judgment and just report back to me.     

Note –  Air Tractor 602 broke down today - Flap motor
    Air Tractor 502 broke down today – pulley cable broke

June 24th, 2007 - Tom reports 8 airplanes are flying today - 2 502’s 1 802, 3 402’s 1 602 7 turbines and 1 OE600 TRACE Air Tractor.   The fog in the morning prevented flying.  3 loads sprayed late in the afternoon.   Plane is still running great. 

June 25th 2007(Monday) – Tom out spraying.   Tom put 10 hours tach time on the plane today for the first all day long continuous work.  Temperatures were in the low green at 160 degrees.  Cylinder head temperature was about 1435.  Engine running great.  The TRACE Air Tractor covered over 1160 acres today.  

June 26th 2007(Tuesday) – Tom started early daylight to 12:30 pm.  It rained from then until 4 pm.  TRACE Air Tractor ran until dark.  Tom used more power today.  At a 400 gallon load, settings were 4000 RPM with 40 inches Manifold Pressure, which he slowly decreased down to 4000 RPM and 35 inches Manifold Pressure while he was spraying the field.  Robert McCurdy, Professor of Ag at Northwest Louisiana University is at Virden spraying.  He is flying the Air Tractor 802 owned by the University.  He is very interested in the TRACE engine and will fly it at the first opportunity.  Northwest Louisiana University offers a degree program in aerial application.  Students train in a 2 place Turbine Thrush. 

June 29th, 2007 (Saturday) – TRACE Engine Air Tractor flew 10.7 hours.  Today Tom reported a 401 Radial engine Air Tractor work out of Virden.  The radial equipped plane was carrying 250 gallon loads and still hit the corn on the end of the runway.  Tom has been carrying 400 gallon full loads all day.  BIG DIFFERENCE!  1473 acres sprayed today.

June 30th 2007 (Sunday) TRACE engine Air Tractor flew 13 hours today.  Flap switch broke on the last load.  Chuck Holzwarth has another switch and will fit it in the morning.  1305 acres sprayed today. 

July 1st 2007 (Monday) – TRACE Air Tractor flew 12.6 hours today.  Switch was fixed before day light.  Had a good day with 1259 acres sprayed.  Plane flying great – talk of all of the operators around. 

July 2nd, 2007 (Tuesday) – TRACE Air Tractor flew 12.1 hours today.  Tom reported this Air Tractor has not lost ANY performance in 95 degree temperatures.  On take off as the wheels break ground, the plane flies.   It doesn’t stagger like the radial engine.  Sprayed 1765 acres today.  Tom’s comment was the TRACE ‘Tractor “kicked ass”!

July 3rd, 2007 (Wednesday) -  TRACE’s Air Tractor flew 9.6 hours today.  Tom said “Good fields and a great engine.  I covered 1729 acres today.”  

July 4th, 2007 (Thursday) - Tom reports he flew 11.4 hours today with 1008 acres sprayed.  Long day but great flying.

July 5th 2007(Friday) – 11 hours sprayed today.   Engine running great.  The TRACE Air Tractor covered over 1160 acres today.   Plane is over 50 hours since last oil change.  127 hours total time on this program.  Service is required. 

July 6th 2007(Saturday) – Sprayed 40 acres on the way to Fulton Missouri where service work will be done.  Oil change and 100 hour inspection to be done at Skytek Aviation. 

July 7th 2007(Sunday) – After talking to Chuck Holzwarth, decision was made to stop the program.  Work was slowing down and they were not booking many acres now and could handle it with own aircraft.

 

Summary:

We have worked the TRACE Engine Air Tractor for 14 days.  In that time, 14,313 acres were sprayed with 127½ total hours on the plane.  That equals 120 acres per hour average.  The engine burned 4249 total gallons of gas, which is equivalent to 33 gallons per hour average.  We have had a very successful program.  The TRACE Air Tractor runs great and outperforms other aircraft of similar kind with radial and turbine engines.  Chuck Holzwarth was pleased with the performance of the TRACE OE600 equipped Air Tractor.  He can be quoted as saying “The TRACE 401 Air Tractor kept with up my turbine 402’s acre for acre with no difference in production between the two engines.”  He was very happy with the performance and reliability of the engine. Tom Bryce reflects that hot temperatures and heavy loads do not affect the performance of the TRACE engine.  He had continuous swath speeds of 140 mph and was able to carry full loads all day.  He appreciated the turbo charged system and the “workhorse” attitude of the TRACE engine when ambient temperatures skyrocketed and put density altitudes in an upward trend.  This engine just kept on going without any problem.  It is a powerhouse.