VFW-614
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| VFW-614 | |
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 VFW-614 of Air Alsace at Basle Airport in 1977 |
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| Type | Regional jet |
| Manufacturer | Fokker VFW |
| Maiden flight | 14 July 1971 |
| Introduced | August 1975 |
The VFW-614, also called the VFW Fokker 614, was a twin-engined jetliner operated and built in West Germany. It was produced in small quantities by Fokker VFW in the early- to mid-1970s, and originally intended as a DC-3 replacement. Its most distinctive feature was that the M45H-01 engines were mounted in pods on pylons above, rather than below, the wing.
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[edit] History
The VFW-614 is often described as being ahead of its time. It was a brave but in the end unsuccessful attempt to build and market a small capacity regional jet, a market sector that has developed only recently with the strong sales of aircraft such as the Canadair CRJs and Embraer ERJs.
The VFW-614 was originally proposed in 1961 by the Entwicklungsring Nord (ERNO) group, comprising Focke-Wulf, Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB) and Weser as the E.614, a 36-40 seat aircraft powered by two Lycoming PLF1B-2 turbofans. West German industry was subsequently reorganised and Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) was established at Bremen. Development of what was now the VFW-614 continued.
In 1968, the project was given the go-ahead, with 80 percent of the backing coming from the West German Government. Full scale production was approved in 1970, by which time VFW had merged with Fokker (a somewhat unhappy arrangement which lasted for only ten years). Also risk sharing agreements had been concluded with SIAT in Germany, Fairey and SABCA in Belgium and Shorts in the UK. Final assembly of the aircraft would be done in Bremen.
The first of three prototypes flew on July 14, 1971. The aircraft was revealed to be of unconventional configuration, with two quiet, smoke-free, but untested Rolls-Royce/Snecma M45H turbofans mounted on pylons above the wings. This arrangement was used to avoid the structural weight penalties of rear mounted engines and the potential ingestion problems of engines mounted under the wings, and allowed a short and sturdy undercarriage, specially suited for operations from poorly prepared runways.
Development of the aircraft was protracted and orders slow to materialise, despite a strong marketing campaign. The orders situation was not helped by Rolls-Royce's bankruptcy in 1971 which threatened the supply of engines.[1] Also a prototype was lost in February 1972 due to elevator flutter, worsening the order situation. By February 1975 only 10 had been ordered. The first production VFW-614 flew in April 1975 and was delivered to Denmark's Cimber airlines 4 months later.
In the end only 3 airlines and the Luftwaffe[2] operated new VFW-614s. In addition to the small number of aircraft sold and operated by three airlines, three aircraft were flown but never delivered, and four airframes were broken-up before completion. The program was officially canceled in 1977, and the last unsold aircraft flew in July 1978. Most aircraft had been disposed of by 1981, with the manufacturer buying the aircraft and simultaneously ending support of the aircraft[citation needed]. Thereafter, only the Luftwaffe aircraft remained in service, being disposed of in 1999.
[edit] Operators
Denmark
- Cimber Air - Two aircraft
France
- Air Alsace - Three aircraft
- Touraine Air Transport - Eight aircraft
West Germany
- Luftwaffe - Three aircraft
[edit] Survivors
There is a VFW-614 on display in the Deutsches Museum in Munich, another on the visitor's terrace at Bremen Airport, and a third is on display at the Technikmuseum Speyer.
[edit] Specifications (VFW-614)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: Two
- Capacity: 40-44 passengers in 4 abreast seating
- Length: 20.60 m (67 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 21.50 m (70 ft 6.5 in)
- Height: 7.82 m (25 ft 8 in)
- Wing area: 64.0 m² (689 ft²)
- Empty weight: 12,179 kg (26,850 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 19,958 kg (44,000 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce/Snecma M45H Mk. 501 turbofan engines, 33.2kN (7,473 lbf) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 704 km/h (380 kts, 437 mph)
- Range: 1,195 km (645 nm, 743 mi) with 40 passengers
- Service ceiling 7,620 m (25,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 945 m/min (3,100 ft/min)
[edit] See also
Related lists
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ F27 Friendship Association - VFW 614 History
- ^ Jackson, 196. p. 62.
[edit] Bibliography
- Jackson, Paul A. German Military Aviation 1956-1976. Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1976. ISBN 0-904597-03-2.
[edit] External links
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