Avro 748

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Avro 748

Avro 748 (C-GBFA) registered to First Air at Cambridge Bay Airport, Nunavut, Canada. This aircraft is no longer registered in Canada
Type	airliner
Manufacturer	Avro
Maiden flight	June 24, 1960
Number built	380
Variants	Avro Andover

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 Canada Dash 8 but saw a limited production run.

1 Development
2 Operators
- 2.1 Civil operators
- 2.2 Military operators
3 Specifications (Super 748)
4 See also
5 References
6 Related content

[edit] 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 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'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 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.

Two other versions were the Coastguarder and Super 748. The Coastguarder was a maritime patrol version.

The ICAO designator as used in flight plans is A748.

[edit] Operators

[edit] Civil operators

In August 2006 a total of 83 Avro 748 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service. Major operators include:

Canada

Air Creebec (2)
Calm Air (6)

Comoros

Comores Aviation (1 aircraft leased from Executive Aerospace of South Africa)

South Africa

Executive Aerospace (6)

Sweden

West Air Sweden (6)

United Kingdom

Emerald Airways (15)

United States

Cascade Airways (2)

Some 25 other airlines also operate the type in smaller numbers. ^[1] It should be noted that Emerald Airways went into receivership on May 11, 2006 after losing its AOC; rumour has it that their HS.748 fleet was sold to BAC Express.

[edit] Military operators

[edit] 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: 2× Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.7 Mk 536-2 turboprop, 1,700 kW (2,280 ehp) each

Performance

Cruise speed: 452 km/h (244 knots, 281 mph)
Range: 1,715 km (926 nm, 1,066 mi) (with max payload)
Service ceiling: 7,620 m (25,000 ft)
Wing loading: 274 kg/m² (56.1 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.161 kW/kg (0.0981 hp/lb)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
^ Michell, Simon (editor) (1994). Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades, 1994-95. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0 7106 1208 7.