The L-410 is a 15-19-passenger, unpressurized, twin-turboprop-powered, regional/utility transport aircraft. The current-production L-410UVP-E20 model is powered by two GE M601 engines. Under development is an improved variant called the L-410 NG that will feature GE H85-200 engines, Avio AV 725 five-blade propellers, a new wing and a new glass cockpit. As a first step toward development of the NG model, Aircraft Industries is integrating the H80-200 engine and the AV 725 propellers into the L-410UVP-E20. More than 1,100 L-410s have been produced.
The An-28 and An-38 are twin-turboprop utility/transport aircraft. First flight of the An-28 occurred in 1969, with temporary Soviet certification following in 1978 and full certification in 1986. A Westernized version of the An-28, the PZL Mielec M28, made its first flight in 1993 and received FAA certification in 2004. A stretched An-28 version, the An-38, made its first flight in 1994 and received Russian certification in 1997. The An-28 is powered by two PZL Rzeszow TWD-10B/PZL-10S engines, with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B powering the M28.
The 747 is an intercontinental widebody commercial transport aircraft powered by four turbofan engines. First flight and certification occurred in 1969. In February 2010, Boeing conducted the maiden flight of the 747-8 series, which includes the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger model and the 747-8 Freighter. Both are equipped with General Electric GEnx engines rated at 66,500 lb. thrust each. The 747-8I is stretched 18 ft. compared to the 747-400 to accommodate 467 seats in a three-class configuration. The first 747-8F delivery, to launch customer Cargolux, occurred in September 2011.
The ATR series are turboprop-powered regional transport aircraft first developed in 1981 by the European joint venture formed by Aerospatiale (now Airbus Group) and Aeritalia (now Alenia Aermacchi, part of the Finmeccanica group). The ATR 42’s first delivery occurred in 1985, followed by the ATR 72 in 1989. The latest versions are the ATR 42-600 and the ATR 72-600. Both -600 variants are powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW127M engines, rated at 2,400-2,750 shp each. Through 2013, ATR delivered 429 ATR 42s and 678 ATR 72s.
The An-124 is a four-engine, intercontinental-range, heavy-lift cargo transport, and the An-225 is a six-engine, heavy-lift jet designed to carry the Soviet shuttle orbiter Buran. Initial flight of a production An-124 prototype took place in 1982 and commercial operation began in 1986. The An-124 is powered by four Ivchenko-Progress D-18T turbofan engines, while the An-225 uses six. Fifty-five An-124s and one An-225 have been produced to date.
The An-148 is a twin-engine regional jet designed to serve the 70-80-seat market. First flight of the An-148 took place in 2004, with type certification by Russia and Ukraine following in 2007. Power for the aircraft comes from two Ivchenko-Progress D436-148 turbofan engines. Three test aircraft and approximately 15 production aircraft were manufactured through 2013, and an additional 62 are forecast through 2023.
The 52-60-passenger MA60 twin-turboprop transport aircraft is a stretched version of the Xian Y7-200A, which in turn is a variation on the Antonov An-24. The aircraft is powered by two 2,750-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127J engines. Initial flight and delivery of the MA60 took place in 2000. A freighter version, the MA60-500, is also marketed. In May 2010, a new variant, the MA600, was awarded certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Xian’s parent firm Avic formally launched full-scale development of the new MA700 turboprop airliner in December 2013. Program plans call for preliminary design review by the end of this year, first flight in 2016, Chinese certification in 2018 and service entry in 2019. Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency or the FAA also will be pursued, achievement of which would enable the MA700 to penetrate markets beyond those currently served by the MA60 or MA600.
Beech launched the King Air series of 8-12-seat, twin-turboprop aircraft in 1963. Since then, numerous variants have appeared. Total production amounted to 6,449 aircraft through 2013. Beechcraft, which Textron acquired last March and operates along with Cessna in a new segment called Textron Aviation, markets the King Air C90GTx, King Air 250 and King Air 350i. The C90GTx is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-135s producing 550 shp each.
Airbus A318 The A318 is a twin-engine, 107-132-passenger narrowbody jetliner. Initial flight occurred in January 2002. The European Joint Aviation Authorities certified the A318 (with CFM56 engines) in May 2003, followed by FAA certification a month later. A318 deliveries began in July 2003; 79 aircraft were produced through 2013. A318s are powered by two 21,600-23,800-lb.-thrust turbofan engines, either the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 or CFM56-5B.
The 737 series is a family of twin-engine, narrowbody commercial transports. Seating capacity varies depending on the model, though the most typical two-class configurations are 126 passengers for the 737-700, 162 for the 737-800 and 180 for the 737-900ER. All three models, which are the current production versions, are powered by two CFM56-7 turbofans. The first 737 flew in April 1967 and received FAA certification in December 1967.
The 777 is a twin-engine, widebody jetliner. First flight occurred in June 1994, followed by certification in April 1995 for the Pratt & Whitney-powered version. Deliveries began in June 1995. The 777-200ER seats 301-440 passengers, and is powered by PW4000, Trent 800 or GE90 turbofans rated at 84,000-95,000 lb. thrust each. Two newer versions are the 777-200LR and 777-300ER. The -200LR, which seats 301 passengers in three classes, is powered by 110,100-lb.-thrust GE90-110B1 or 115,300-lb.-thrust GE90-115BL turbofans.
Investigation team says 2 sec. before beginning to break up in midair, the vehicle's two moveable tail booms unexpectedly began to deploy into a feathering position.
The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments paper details the roles of new and existing systems in the Third Offset strategy; a larger role for the Long-Range Strike Bomber is one of several systems listed.
Ahead of the Zhuhai air show, Aviation Week's International Defense Editor Bill Sweetman talks to Defense Managing Editor Jen DiMascio about the J-20 Chinese fighter.
The F-35s would reintroduce fixed-wing combat aircraft to Australian naval service after a gap of more than 30 years. However, the move lacks backing from the three armed services and looks difficult to justify, even as the government is willing to boost the defense forces with more Boeing C-17 airlifters and Airbus KC-30 tankers.
Steeped in manned-aircraft experience but with a burgeoning unmanned-aircraft avionics business, Rockwell Collins is working to help UAVs fly in the national airspace system. With NASA, the company is developing a certifiable command-and-control data link allowing multiple unmanned aircraft systems to be flown from a single ground station. And now Rockwell Collins has shown that certified manned-aircraft avionics can be used in a UAS without breaking the certification chain of evidence.
More than two years after Delta Air Lines became the first U.S. carrier to announce it would substantially reduce its 50-seat regional jet fleet, its transformation is nearly complete. Although Delta Connection soon will operate a fraction of the Embraer ERJ 145s and Bombardier CRJ200s it once flew, Delta does not expect any cities to lose service.
