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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 1697.PDF
REGIONAL AIRCRAFT DIRECTORY Aerospatiale/Aeritalia (France/Italy) ATR42 Avions de Transport Regional was set up in Toulouse in early 1982 as a collaborative project between Aeritalia and Aerospatiale to amalgamate two projects; the Aeritalia AIT-230 and the Aerospatiale AS.35. Now well established in the commuter market, the ATR42 was intended as the first of a series of turboprop aircraft. The ATR42 first flew in August 1984, received certifica tion in both France and Italy in September 1985, and entered service in December of that year with Air Littoral. The fuselage, fin, tailplane, and undercarriage fairings are produced in Italy, while the wing is made in France. Final assembly and flight-testing is carried out at Aerospatiale's Toulouse plant. Current production is centred on the ATR42-300, this model offering improved payload/range performance and increased maximum take-off weight in comparison with earlier variants. Design of the ATR42 is comparatively conventional, with a high wing, high tailplane, and fuselage-mounted main landing gear. Use is made of composite materials and the flightdeck has electronic flight instrument displays. Since late 1988, all standard ATR types been offered with 48 seats rather than the original 46. Apart from the passenger versions of the ATR42, Aerospatiale/Aeritalia have developed a commer cial freighter—the ATR42-F—with redesigned interior, strengthened cargo floor and portside cargo door which can be opened in flight. GPA-ATR, a leasing group formed by ATR and Irish leasing company GPA with banks Indosuez and San Paulo Di Torino, has placed substantial orders for ATR types, which are then leased to airlines. Worldwide ATR 42 sales have now reached 287 aircraft. ATR72 Less than one year after making its first flight on 17 September, 1988, the ATR72 was certificated by the French Direction Generate de l'Aviation Civile, with delivery of the first of five aircraft ordered by Finnair subsidiary Karair in November 1989. Launched in 1985, the ATR72 is a stretched version of the ATR42 offering seating for 66 to 70 passengers. The aircraft has additional fuselage sections added fore and aft of the wing, extended wing outer sections and redesigned engine nacelles. Power is provided by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW- 124 turboprops driving four-bladed Hamilton Standard propellers. The ATR72 has cockpit commonality and common type ratings with the ATR42. Production rate is 47 aircraft a year for ATR42 and ATR72, scheduled to rise to 70 per annum by 1993. The consortium claims total orders for 142 ATR72s for 18 customers worldwide. Major orders include Transport Aerien Transregional for 30, Britair 6, Foshing 7 launch customer Finnair and the GPA- ATR group. Two further variants are being considered by the consortium. The ATR72 Advanced, a re-engined model would use Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW130 turboprop, a more powerful engines to improve "hot-and-high" perfor mance particularly in Far Fast operations. The ATR82 with PW130s would be a stretched version of ATR72 seating up to 82 passengers, eight more than ATR72, by adding fuselage plugs giving 2.3m extra length which will allow three further seat rows. Launch decisions are likely mid-1990 for the ATR72 Advanced and by the end of the year for ATR82. Antonov (USSR) AN-26B The An-26, a development of the earlier An- 24RT, remains in production in the USSR, having first flown in the late 1960s. The original production version, fitted with a conveyor flush-mounted in the cabin floor, has been superseded by the An-26B variant, with roll- gangs to facilitate freight movement. The aircraft is of similar size to the F.27/BAe 748 and has a rear-loading "beaver tail", as well as an auxiliary turbojet mounted in the starboard nacelle to improve performance. Specialised variants of the basic design include the An-30 survey version with a glazed nose, and the An-32, powered by Ivchenko AI-20M or -20DM turboprops, for "hot-and- high" conditions. Although primarily a military freighter, the An-26 Thai Airways is among the first operators of the stretched 66- to 70-passenger ATR72 serves in some numbers with Aeroflot, as well as with other Eastern Bloc airlines. ANTONOV/PZL-MIELEC (USSR/Poland) AN-28 Initially designated An~14M, this aircraft first flew in the Soviet Union in September 1969 and completed flight-testing in 1972. Production aircraft were allocated the designation An-28 and the first pre-production aircraft flew in April 1975. Following Soviet-Polish talks in 1978, it was agreed that full production of the type be undertaken by PZL-Mielec. The first Polish-built An-28 flew in July 1984 arid the type received certification in February 1986. The An-28 is now in production for Aeroflot, with more than 50 delivered to date. The aircraft has a rear loading ramp entered through clamshell doors, fixed tricycle landing gear and is unpressurised. It also has STOL performance with auto matically deployed leading-edge slats, and fixed tail- mounted slats. Beech Aircraft (USA) SUPER KING AIR B20O and 300 Although designed primarily as a business turboprop, the King Air continues to be used as an airliner, where its good range and faster- than-average speed make it attractive for some low- density, long-distance routes. Introduced in 1981, the Super King Air B200 has now replaced the earlier 200 model on the Wichita production line. The B200 is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42s, offering improved cruise and altitude performance as well as a greater maximum zero-fuel weight and increased cabin differentials. The B200C, fitted with a cargo door, is also available. The Super King Air 350 replaces the 300 as top-of the range model. Four extra windows are provided in the fuselage which is lengthened by 860mm. Wingspan is 1.06m greater and the price is $3.75 million. 1300 COMMUTER Announced in early 1988, the model 1300 Commuter is a development of the Super King Air B200, designed specifically for long, low-traffic routes. The aircraft is powered by two 633kW Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42 turboprops, has a cruise speed of 265kt (490km/h), and is certificated to 25,000ft (7,600m). A cargo pod is one of several optional features. Launch customer for the 1300 Commuter is Mesa Airlines of New Mexico, which received all five aircraft of its initial order in 1988. Since then the airline has re ordered the type, purchasing a further five 1300s. 1900C Brisk sales of this 19-seat aircraft to commuter, government and special-missions customers continue, with more than 130 Beech 1900s in service or on order with 21 carriers worldwide. The 1900 first flew in September 1982 and was certificated by the FAA in November 1983. The aircraft is designed primarily for fast and long-range operations and boasts good loadability, with the option of loading full fuel and maximum payload without exceeding the maximum take-off weight. There is a forward carry-on baggage locker, underseat baggage stowage, plus rear and nose baggage compart ments. The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B turboprops, each fiat-rated to 745kW. Two versions are available: the Model 1900C, with cargo door and the King Air ExecLiner. Current production Building on the success of its 1900C, Beech has introduced the "stand-up" 1900D FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 13-19 June 1990
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