Note the decrease in pressure caused by friction in small-diameter hoses. Guidelines For Selecting Hydraulic Handgun Sprayers. The goal of airblast spraying is to replace the air contained in the tree with spray-ladened air. High air volume capacity in the blower and the correct travel speed are important factors in achieving this. Travel speed must be slow enough to create air momentum to penetrate the plant canopy.
Velocity is important for getting the spray to the top of the trees or across a field.
Most airstreams lose 75 percent of their velocity in the first 25 feet from the sprayer. Airblast sprayers can spray an area in less time than either handgun or boom sprayers can. However, airblast sprayers require more power than boom or handgun sprayers do. Because airblast sprayers apply a concentrated pesticide mixture, a much smaller amount of water is used in comparison to the amount used in hydraulic or boom sprayers. Pesticide drift can be a serious problem since airblast sprayers are broadcast sprayers.