Turbine engines introduced. Turbine engines increased the speed of agricultural aircraft, boosting the speed of what was already the fastest way to treat crops. Turbine engine technology represented a quantum leap forward for agricultural aviation, because in addition to being more powerful and able to hold more payload, turbines were more reliable than piston powered radial engines. Turbine engines increased the cruising speed of agricultural aircraft by 20 mph or greater and allowed the hopper capacity to increase 75% from the largest piston powered aircraft.
