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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 0564.PDF
The Saab 2000 is the fastest twin-turboprop airliner yet launched The continuing success of regional airlines in the United States, and the expansion of their European coun terparts, is threatened by frequency limits. This may justify the plethora of new 50-seat airliners, as 19-seaters and, eventually, 30-seaters run into slot limitations, but it provides no justification for jet-powered 50-seaters. These would reverse the down ward trend in operating costs being delivered by increasingly economical turboprops, which have an inherent propulsive- efficiency advantage. That is the opinion of manufacturers in the crowded 50-seat turboprop market, but their views are divided on the need for increased speed. Modern 50-seat turboprops, such as the ATR42 and the Fokker 50, cruise at between 240kt and 280kt, considerably below the 440kt offered by the Canadair Regional Jet project. However, this translates into a jet block-time advantage of no more than 15min on typical 200 n.m. hub-feed sectors which are flown by turboprops in about an hour. Fokker says that average Fokker 50 sectors take 42min, and jets would be only a couple of minutes quicker. Since Saab figures suggest that block fuel used by the new jets would be more than 50 per cent higher than that burned by current 50-seat turboprops on such sectors, turbo prop manufacturers are understandably scathing about the jets. Saab (whose 340 is fighting the Boeing The case for the turboprops Who needs jets on short regional routes when turboprops are cheaper to operate and take little longer to cover the distance? Who needs jets on longer inter-regional routes when there is a fast new turboprop that is cheaper to operate? Peter Middleton reports on the case for the turboprops. de Havilland Dash 8 and the Embraer Brasilia in the 30- to 40-seat turbo market) says the average sector flown by 340s has remained more or less constant at 180 n.m. (for 47min block time) since they were intro duced in 1984. Sectors flown by Swiss regional airline Crossair are typical, with 65 per cent of flights below 200 n.m. With these statements, Saab would appear to be making a strong case for the Fokker 50 and the Aerospatiale/Aeritalia ATR42. These are the established turboprop competitors for its new Saab 2000 high speed 50-seat turboprop, which is scheduled to enter service with Crossair in 1993. This apparent endorsement of the slower turboprops is emphasised by predictions by Jeff Marsh, president of Saab Aircraft Inter national, that there will be an ongoing market for 1,300 new (and equally slow) 30- to 40-seaters up to the end of the century. Saab, however, believes that, while jets are no answer, it needs to offer a high-speed 50-seater to capitalise on a distinct new 42 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 4 March 1989
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