The Grumman Ag-Cat was built specifically for agricultural work, crop spraying etc. The aircraft was designed during the 1950’s with a prototype being built and flown for the first time in 1957. It was designed with a single enclosed cockpit for the pilot and a hopper forward of the cockpit carrying the load to be sprayed. The wings are in biplane configuration for strength and rigidity and both the top and bottom wings are interchangeable to support ease of maintenance.

The Ag-Cat went into production in 1959 with Grumman sub-contracting the construction to the Schweizer company who built the Ag-Cat up until 1979. In 1981 Schweizer purchased the rights for the Ag-Cat design and continued production until 1995 when they sold the production rights to Ag-Cat Corporation.

Several variants of the aircraft were built, each upgrading the power and load carrying capacity to cater for the demands of the agricultural industry. Engine power varied widely between the original production model and current aircraft. Generally the aircraft is fitted with a radial engine, ranging from the 220hp Continental W670 up to the 1200hp Wright R-1820 however the aircraft has also been converted to use the Pratt and Whitney PT6 turbo-prop engine.

A popular modification to the Ag-Cat has been to remove the hopper and replace it with a side by side, two seat open cockpit. Generally the pilot’s cockpit enclosure is removed as well. These modifications have seen a new role for many Ag-Cats, flying open cockpit joy flights. Our Ag-Cat is also configured for banner towing.

Manufacturer: Grumman
Powerplant: Jacobs R-755, 7 cylinder radial 300 hp