PlaneSpottingWorld welcomes all new members! Please gives your ideas at the Terminal.
Fairchild-Dornier 328 family
| Fairchild-Dornier 328 family | |
|---|---|
| Type | Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Fairchild-Dornier |
| Maiden flight | December 6, 1991 |
| Introduced | 1993 |
| Primary users | Hainan Airlines (29) Sun Air of Scandinavia (14) Skyway Airlines (12) |
| Produced | 1993-2003 |
The Fairchild-Dornier 328 family of commuter airliners is comprised of several related models, all based upon the basic turboprop-powered 328. Major variants include the stretched 428 and the turbofan-powered 328JET and 428JET. The 428 variants were only proposed, but never actually produced. Initially produced by Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, the firm was acquired in 1996 by Fairchild Aircraft. The resulting firm, named Fairchild-Dornier, manufactured the 328 family in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, conducted sales from San Antonio, Texas, and supported the product line from both locations.
Contents
History
The 328 (or Do 328) program was initially begun while Dornier was still owned by Deutsche Aerospace. The basic 328 first flew on December 6, 1991, and entered commercial service in October 1993. The 328's new fuselage allowed for comfortable 3-abreast seating, with the potential for a 4-abreast configuration. Combined with the supercritical wing from Dornier's Do 228, this gave the 328 excellent cruise and climb capabilities.
Due to public perception of noise and reliability issues with turboprops, Fairchild-Dornier developed the turbofan-based 328-300 or 328JET, of which 83 were sold. The 328JET utilized the same cabin arrangement. Fairchild-Dornier also began development of the stretched 428 and 428JET, a 44-seat version of the 328JET.
The declining commercial success of the 328JET meant that Fairchild-Dornier was unable to finance the development of further models. The 328JET was therefore the last commercial aircraft to be produced by the former Dornier business before it became insolvent in 2002. Following Dornier's insolvency, AvCraft Aviation of Virginia acquired the rights to the 328 program in March 2003, including the 32-seat 328JET and 328 turboprop, 18 328JETs in various stages of assembly, and the development work on the 428JET. After the successful sale of these airplanes, AvCraft negotiated arrangements with suppliers to resume production. The first newly built 328JET was delivered in 2004. AvCraft also took on the production of these aircraft, due to low profit expectations for its other projects, until it filed for bankruptcy itself in 2005. The resulting firm was acquired by private equity investors and reformed as M7 Aerospace.
Variants
- 328-100 - Initial 328.
- 328-110 - Standard 328 with greater range and weights
- 328-120 - 328 with improved STOL performance.
- 328-130 - 328 with progressive rudder authority reduction at higher airspeeds.
- 328JET - Turbofan-powered variant, formerly the 328-300.
Operators
The 328 is rare in Europe, as most operators are in the United States and China.
- In August 2006 a total of 56 Dornier 328-100 aircraft remain in airline service. Major operators include: Air Alps (7), Cirrus Airlines (6), ScotAirways (7), and Sun Air of Scandinavia (14). Some 9 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.[1]
- In August 2006 a total of 62 Dornier 328Jet aircraft remain in airline service. Major operators include: Hainan Airlines (29) and Midwest Connect (12). Some 12 other airlines also operate smaller numbers of the type.[1]
- In 2005 the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) awarded a contract to AeroRescue for the provision of five 328-120 to enhance Search and Rescue (SAR) within the Australian SAR Region. The five aircraft have been progressively commissioned with the last one to be commissioned Febuary 2007 in Brisbane. They are stationed around Australia to provide rapid response to a SAR Mission. The aircraft have been fitted with electronic sensors to detect objects in both the Maritime and Land environments including; Israel Aerospace Industries ELTA EL/M 2022A Radar, FSI Star SAFire III Foward Looking Infra Red (FLIR), and an ARGON ST Infra Red/Ultra Violet scanner.
Specifications (Dornier 328-110)
Data from {name of first source}[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Capacity: 30 to 33 passengers
- Length: 21.11 m (69 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 20.98 m (68 ft 10 in)
- Height: 7.24 m (23 ft 9 in)
- Wing area: 40 m² (431 ft²)
- Empty weight: 8,920 kg (19,670 lb)
- Useful load: 3,450 kg (7,606 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 13,990 kg (30,840 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney Canada PW119B turboprops, 1,625 kW (2,180 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 620 kph (335 knots, 385 mph)
- Range: 1,850 km (1,000 nm, 1,150 mi)
- Service ceiling: 9,455 m (31,020 ft)
Avionics
Honeywell PRIMUS 2000
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
- ↑ Error on call to Template:cite web: Parameters url and title must be specified.
External links
- The Dornier 328 - Aircraft images and seat map
- http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/fairchild/
- http://membres.lycos.fr/djipibi/aviation/observationpages/AvionsObservation-22-.htm
- http://avia-dejavu.net/photo%20OY-NCO.htm
- Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent German-language Wikipedia article (retrieved February 14, 2006).
Related content
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
228 · 328/328JET · 428/428JET · 528 · 728 · 928
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.
