ATR 72
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ATR 72 | |
---|---|
ATR 72 of Aer Arann at take off | |
Type | Regional airliner |
Manufacturer | ATR |
Status | In revenue service |
Primary user | American Eagle |
Developed from | ATR 42 |
The ATR 72 is a twin-turboprop short-haul regional airliner built in France by ATR. It seats up to 72 passengers in a single-class configuration and is operated by a two-pilot crew. American Eagle Airlines, the primary regional airline for American Airlines and the largest operator of the type, refers to its ATR 72s as Super ATRs.
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[edit] History
The ATR 72 was developed from the ATR 42. ATR stretched the fuselage by 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in), widened the wingspan, added more powerful engines, and increased fuel capacity by approximately 10 percent. The 72 was announced in 1986[1] and made its maiden flight on October 27, 1988. Exactly one year after that, on October 27, 1989, Finnair became the first company to put the plane into service.[2]
As of January 2007, a total of 323 ATR 72s had been delivered worldwide, with orders pending for 113 more. [3]
[edit] Variants
There have been three main variants of the ATR 72 produced.
[edit] ATR 72-200
The -200 was the original production version, powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW124B engines rated at 2400 shp.[4]
[edit] ATR 72-210 (212)
The -210, called the -212 by American Eagle, is a -200 with PW127 engines producing 2750 shp each for improved performance in hot and high-altitude conditions.
[edit] ATR 72-500 (210A/212A)
Originally named the -210A and called the -212A by American Eagle, the -500 is an upgraded version of the -210 using six-bladed propellers on otherwise identical PW127F engines. Other improvements include higher maximum weights and superior performance, as well as greater automation of power management to ease pilot workload.
[edit] Other variants
ATR unveiled a large cargo door modification for all ATR 72 at Farnborough 2002, coupled with a dedicated cargo conversion. FedEx, DHL, and UPS all operate the type.[5]
A VIP version of the -500 is available with a luxury interior for executive or corporate transport.[6]
An anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant of the -500 (itself a version of the maritime patrol variant of the ATR 42-500) is also in production[7] and has been selected by the Turkish Navy for ASW and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) duties. A total of ten aircraft will be delivered to the Turkish Navy by 2010. The aircraft will be armed with anti-surface missiles and torpedoes for ASuW and ASW missions. They will also be equipped with electronic warfare and reconnaissance systems and will also be used for maritime search and rescue operations.[citation needed]
[edit] Major operators
- Aer Arann (9)
- Aero Airlines (7)
- Air Dolomiti (8)
- Airlinair (7)
- Air Nostrum (7)
- Alitalia Express (10)
- American Eagle Airlines (39)
- Atlantic Southeast Airlines (12)
- Bangkok Airways (9)
- Binter Canarias (13)
- Eurolot (8)
- Jet Airways (8)
- Mount Cook Airline (11)
- Olympic Airlines (7)
- TransAsia Airways (10)
- Trip Linhas Aéreas (6)
- Vietnam Airlines (9)
Some 47 other airlines also operate the type in smaller numbers.
Major firm orders include:
- Aer Arann (10)
- Air Deccan (27)
- Finncomm Airlines (7)
- Kingfisher Airlines (31)[8]
[edit] ATR in India
ATR has captured a major share of the civil turboprop market in India. ATR aircraft are operating to smaller Indian towns which did not have any regularly scheduled air service. In view of the explosive growth in the Indian civil aviation market, Indian airlines have announced several aggressive ATR aircraft acquisition programs (as of July 2006):
Air Deccan was India's first low cost carrier and the first private airline to focus on connecting smaller Indian towns and cities in southern India. It started scheduled services in 2003 with four leased ATR 42-320. On Jan 6, 2005 it announced plans to acquire 30 new ATR 72-500 aircraft and 6 second-hand aircraft (3 ATR 42-500 and 3 ATR 72-500), at this point the airline operated 12 ATR 42s on its network.
Kingfisher Airlines announced at the 2005 Dubai Air Show that it was placing a firm order for 20 ATR 72-500 aircraft with options for 15 more. The first aircraft was delivered on March 30, 2006. At the 2006 Farnborough Airshow Kingfisher confirmed the 15 additional ATR 72-500 aircraft options and took options on 20 more. Kingfisher has also been a pioneer airline in introducing in-flight entertainment in its ATRs.
Jet Airways operates 8 ATR 72-500.
[edit] Accidents and incidents
- American Eagle Flight 4184 crashed due to icing on October 31, 1994 in Roselawn, Indiana. The accident had a significant effect on procedures for dealing with in-flight icing as well as American Eagle's utilization of turboprop aircraft in specific geographical areas.
- American Eagle Flight 5401 crashed on landing in San Juan, Puerto Rico during a failed go-around attempt on May 9, 2004. Seventeen people were injured, but there were no fatalities.
- On August 6, 2005, a Tuninter ATR 72 en route from Bari, Italy, to Djerba, Tunisia, ditched into the Mediterranean Sea about 18 miles from the city of Palermo. Sixteen of the 39 people on board died. The accident resulted from engine fuel starvation due to the installation of ATR 42 fuel quantity indicators in the ATR 72.
[edit] Specifications
- Crew: 2 (pilot + first officer)
- Accommodation: 72
- Max speed: 275 knots (509 km/h)
- Range: 910 nautical miles (1,685 km)
- Wingspan: 27.1 m (88 ft 9 in)
- Length: 27.2 m (89 ft 2 in)
- Height: 7.7 m (25 ft 2 in)
- Cargo/baggage: 10.6 m³ (375 ft³)
- Maximum Take-Off Weight: 21,500 kg
- Powerplant:
- ATR 72-210: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127 (1,850kW) × 2
Measurement | ATR 42 | ATR 72 |
---|---|---|
Accommodation | 44-50 | 64-74 |
Range at max pax load | 640 nm (ATR 42-300) 870 nm (ATR 42-500) |
930 nm (ATR 72-200) 820 nm (ATR 72-210) 830 nm (ATR 72-500) |
Wingspan | 24.57 m | 27.1 m |
Length | 22.67 m | 27.2 m |
Height | 7.59 m | 7.7 m |
Maximum Take-Off Weight | 16,700 kg (ATR 42-300/320) 17,900 kg (ATR 42-400) 18,600 kg (ATR 42-500) |
21,500 kg (ATR 72-2XX) 22,000 kg (ATR 72-500) |
Powerplant | Pratt & Whitney Canada 2 x PW120 @ 1800 SHP (ATR 42-300) 2 x PW121 @ 1900 SHP (ATR 42-320) 2 x PW121A @ 2000 SHP (ATR 42-400) 2 x PW127E @ 2160 SHP (ATR 42-500) |
Pratt & Whitney Canada 2 x PW124 @ 2160 SHP (ATR 72-200) 2 x PW127 @ 2475 SHP (ATR 72-210) 2 x PW127F @ 2475 SHP (ATR 72-500) |
[edit] Trivia
- Passengers are boarded using the rear door (which is rare for a passenger plane) as the front door is used to load cargo.
- A tail stand must be installed when passengers are boarding or disembarking to prevent the nose from coming off the ground.
- The ATR aircraft do not have an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), but have a propeller brake (referred to as "Hotel Mode") that stops the propeller on the #2 (right) engine, allowing the turbine to run and provide air and power to the aircraft without the propeller spinning. This eliminates the need for the added weight and expense of an APU.[9] Engines are periodically switched during maintenance to ensure equal wear.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] Related content
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- Fokker F27 and F50
- Saab 2000 and 340
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