Avro 748
The Avro 748 was a small short-range turboprop airliner designed by Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3's then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated market and 380 aircraft were built. A larger development, the BAe ATP, attempted to compete with the de Havilland DASH-8 but saw a limited production run.
The original 748 design started in 1958 after the infamous Duncan Sandys 1957 Defence White Paper ended most military manned aircraft development in the UK, and Avro decided to re-enter the civilian market. The Vickers Viscount had the large end of the short-haul market neatly wrapped up, so Avro decided to design to a smaller feederliner design to replace the many DC-3 Dakota's that were now reaching the end of their lifespan. Avro was not the only company to see the potential for a DC-3 replacement, and by this point the Fokker F27 Friendship was well advanced. Avro decided to compete by producing a design with better short-field performance, allowing it to operate from smaller airports.
The first aircraft flew from Avro's Woodford plant on June 24, 1960, and two prototypes quickly proved the type's short field performance. Eighteen 748 Series 1 aircraft were produced, the first for British Skyways Coach-Air (later known as Dan-Air) but the majority for Aerolíneas Argentinas. By this point Avro had been merged into the Hawker-Siddeley Group and the design was known as the HS 748.
The Series 2 entered production in 1961 with a higher take-off weight, and were produced to 198 examples, making it one of the most popular post-war British designs. The more powerful Series 2A followed for another 71, along with another 25 Series 2Bs.
The Royal Air Force ordered a version (as the Hawker Siddeley Andover C1) modified with a raised tailplane to accommodate a rear loading ramp and a kneeling undercarriage.
The 748 Series 1 and Series 2 was license produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautics as the HAL-748. HAL built 89 aircraft in India, 72 for the Indian Air Force and 17 for the Indian Airlines Corporation. The later production for the Indian Air Force (the last 20 built) were Series 2M aircraft with a Large Freight Door. Aircraft were later modified for a variety of roles including a trials aircraft for an Airborne Early Warning version fitted with a large radome.
Hawker Siddeley became part of British Aerospace in the mid-1970s with the Series 2B becoming the main production model.
The ICAO designator as used in flight plans is A748.
In August 2006 a total of 83 Avro 748 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service. Major operators include: Emerald Airways (15), Executive Aerospace (6), West Air Sweden (6) and Calm Air (6). Some 25 other airlines also operate the type in smaller numbers. [1]
Contents |
Specification
- Length: 20.42 m
- Height 7.57 m
- Wingspan: 30.02 m
- Standard Layout: 48 seats
- Maximum take-off weight: 23,133 kg
- Engines: Two Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.7 Mk 536-2 turboprops with a maximum rating 1,700 kW
- Normal operating speed: 243 knots
- Maximum operating altitude: 7,620 m
- Full-laden range: 1456 km
Military Operators
- Argentina, Australia (RAAF, RAN), Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Nepal, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom (RAF), Venezuela, Zambia.
See also
References
- ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
See also
Similar
SequenceAvro 696 Shackleton - Avro 698 Vulcan - Avro 707 - Avro Ashton - Avro 748
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.Categories
Aircraft without proper specifications | Aircraft without specifications | British airliners 1960-1969