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Hawker Siddeley HS 748

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HS 748
Avro 748 (C-GBFA) registered to First Air at Cambridge Bay Airport, Nunavut, Canada.
Type airliner
Manufacturer Avro
Hawker Siddeley
Maiden flight June 24 1960
Primary users Indian Air Force
Indian Airlines Corporation
Number built 380
Variants Hawker Siddeley Andover
BAe ATP

The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 was a small short-range turboprop airliner originally 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. 380 aircraft were built by Hawker Siddeley. A larger development, the BAe ATP, attempted to compete with the de Havilland Canada Dash 8 but saw a limited production run.

Development

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 Dakotas 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 24 June 1960, and two prototypes quickly proved the type's short field performance. Eighteen Avro 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's individual identity within the Hawker Siddeley Group had ended 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 748 Series 1 and Series 2 was licence-produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as the HAL-748. HAL built 89 aircraft in India, 72 for the Indian Air Force and 17 for the Indian Airlines Corporation.

Hawker Siddeley became part of British Aerospace in the mid-1970s with the Series 2B becoming the main production model.

The last 748s were built as "Super 748s" with hush-kitted Rolls-Royce Dart engines, in 1987.

The ICAO designator as used in flight plans is A748.

Military variants

The 748 has been popular as a military variant. Some versions are:

  • A maritime patrol version of the later model was the Coastguarder.
  • The later production for the Indian Air Force (the last 20 built) were Series 2M aircraft with a Large Freight Door.

Accidents and incidents

There have been 19 notable accidents involving the 748:

  • 11 October 1983 - Air Illinois crashed after electrical power failure, all six on board died.

Operators

Civil operators

In August 2007 a total of 59 Avro 748 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service. Current operators are[1]:

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Military operators

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Specifications (Super 748)

Data from Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades, 1994-95[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Three (two pilots + one passenger attendant)
  • Capacity: 40-58 passengers
  • Payload: 5,136 kg (11,323 lb)
  • Length: 20.42 m (67 ft 0 in)
  • Wingspan: 31.23 m (102 ft 5½ in)
  • Height: 7.57 m (24 ft 10 in)
  • Wing area: 77 m² (829 m²)
  • Empty weight: 12,327 kg (27,126 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 21,092 kg (46,500 lb)
  • Powerplant:Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.7 Mk 536-2 turboprop, 1,700 kW (2,280 ehp) each

Performance


References

  1. Flight International, 21-27 October 2007
  2. Michell, Simon (editor) (1994). Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades, 1994-95. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0 7106 1208 7. 

External Links

Related Content

Related development

Comparable aircraft

See also