The Cessna 188B AGTruck comes with the following liveries: N9853D, N8762Z, N6324R, LV-ACD, VH-HQA, N98744
The 188 AGtruck is a low-wing, single-engine, single-seat specialty agricultural aircraft by American aviation producer Cessna. The 188 line was developed specifically for aerial chemical application, more commonly called crop dusting. The 188 took its maiden flight on February 19, 1965 and it was introduced into industry in 1966. Produced between 1966 and 1985, nearly 4,000 were built in a number of variants, including the 188 AGtruck.
Cessna began pursuing creating a specialty agricultural aircraft for aerial application purposes in 1964. This came on the heels of a number of initiatives by industry and researchers, notably by those at Texas A&M, to develop an “agplane” that was custom-designed to apply chemicals from the air. Design outlook included incorporating aerodynamics that took into consideration the dispersal patterns of applicants after release from the aircraft.
Their study yielded that practitioners needed an airplane that could carry roughly 200 gallons of chemicals and release these applicants with precision while flying low over crops. Engineers at Cessna created a rugged, all-metal aircraft based on the wing of the Cessna 185. The wing was low-mounted and strut-braced, and the empennage, cowling, and tail section of the fuselage were taken from the Cessna 180. The 188 was born, and it quickly proved a success. The AGtruck variant debuted in 1972, and it boasted a 280-gallon capacity for chemicals. Cessna produced the AGtruck until 1985, and many continue to fly to this day.
The Cessna 188 AGtruck measures 26 feet, 3 inches in length, stands 7 feet, 9 inches tall, and has a wingspan of 41 feet, 8 inches. The aircraft features a fixed standard undercarriage and a traditional tail unit. The AGtruck is powered by a 300-horsepower Continental IO-520-D 6-cylinder piston engine that turns a 3-blade McCauley constant-speed metal propeller. The aircraft has a range of 295 miles, a service ceiling of 11,000 feet above sea level, and it climbs at 690 feet per minute. The AGtruck cruises at 113 miles per hour, has a top speed of 121 mph, and stalls at 57.
The Cessna 188 AGtruck is a specialized machine that consistently delivers precision and performance. While straightforward to perform basic flight maneuvers, the AGtruck demands practice and skill to realize its full potential as a low-level crop dusting workhorse.
| CRUISE SPEED | 110 Knots |
| ENGINE | Teledyne Continental. Fuel Injection IO-520-D |
| MAX ALTITUDE | 11100 Feet |
| RANGE | 370 NM |
| EMPTY WEIGHT | 1910 Pounds |
| MAX WEIGHT | 3300 Pounds |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 54 Gallons |
