Fokker F27
Encyclopedia
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop
airliner
designed and built by the Dutch
aircraft
manufacturer Fokker
.
airliner. The manufacturer evaluated a number of different configurations before finally deciding on a high-wing
twin Rolls-Royce Dart
engine layout with a pressurised cabin
for 28 passengers.
The first prototype
, registered PH-NIV, first flew on November 24, 1955. The second prototype and initial production machines were 0.9 m (3 ft) longer, addressing the first aircraft's slightly tail-heavy handling and also providing space for four more passengers, bringing the total to 32. These aircraft also used the more powerful Dart Mk 528 engine.
The first production model, the F27-100, was delivered to Aer Lingus
in November 1958. Other early Friendship customers included Braathens SAFE
, Luxair
, Ansett
, Trans Australia Airlines
and Turkish Airlines
.
In 1956, Fokker signed a licensing deal with the US aircraft manufacturer Fairchild for the latter to construct the F27 in the USA. The first U.S.-built aircraft flew on April 12, 1958. Fairchild also independently developed a stretched version, called the FH-227
. Most sales by Fairchild were made in the North American market.
At the end of the Fokker F27’s production in 1987, 586 units had been built (plus another 207 F-27s and FH-227s in the USA by Fairchild), more than any other western European civil turboprop airliner.
Many aircraft have been modified from passenger service to cargo or express-package freighter roles and remain in service in 2009. The last major cargo user of the F27 in the United States was Fedex
Express, as cargo "feeder" aircraft. These were retired and replaced by ATR42 and ATR72 aircraft by the end of 2009, with the last of the aircraft being donated to Hickory Aviation Museum
. The United States Army Parachute Team
continues to use a C-31A Troopship for its diving exhibitions in 2011.
In the early 1980s, Fokker developed a successor to the Friendship, the Fokker 50. Although based on the F27-500 airframe, the Fokker 50 is virtually a new aircraft with Pratt & Whitney Canada
engines and modern systems. Its general performance and passenger comfort were improved over the F27.
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
airliner
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
designed and built by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
manufacturer Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
.
Design and development
Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
airliner. The manufacturer evaluated a number of different configurations before finally deciding on a high-wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
twin Rolls-Royce Dart
Rolls-Royce Dart
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:*...
engine layout with a pressurised cabin
Cabin pressurization
Cabin pressurization is the pumping of compressed air into an aircraft cabin to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew and passengers when flying at altitude.-Need for cabin pressurization:...
for 28 passengers.
The first prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
, registered PH-NIV, first flew on November 24, 1955. The second prototype and initial production machines were 0.9 m (3 ft) longer, addressing the first aircraft's slightly tail-heavy handling and also providing space for four more passengers, bringing the total to 32. These aircraft also used the more powerful Dart Mk 528 engine.
Production
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
in November 1958. Other early Friendship customers included Braathens SAFE
Braathens
Braathens ASA, until 1997 Braathens South American & Far East Airtransport A/S and trading as Braathens SAFE, is a former Norwegian airline that operated from 1946 until it merged with Scandinavian Airlines Norway to become SAS Braathens in 2004. The airline was based in Oslo, first at Fornebu,...
, Luxair
Luxair
Luxair S.A., Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne, operating as Luxair, is the flag carrier airline of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It operates scheduled services to 50 destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, plus charter and seasonal summer services....
, Ansett
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
, Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
and Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Bakirköy district, Istanbul...
.
In 1956, Fokker signed a licensing deal with the US aircraft manufacturer Fairchild for the latter to construct the F27 in the USA. The first U.S.-built aircraft flew on April 12, 1958. Fairchild also independently developed a stretched version, called the FH-227
Fairchild Hiller FH-227
The Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 were versions of the Fokker F27 Friendship twin-engined turboprop passenger aircraft manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States...
. Most sales by Fairchild were made in the North American market.
At the end of the Fokker F27’s production in 1987, 586 units had been built (plus another 207 F-27s and FH-227s in the USA by Fairchild), more than any other western European civil turboprop airliner.
Many aircraft have been modified from passenger service to cargo or express-package freighter roles and remain in service in 2009. The last major cargo user of the F27 in the United States was Fedex
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
Express, as cargo "feeder" aircraft. These were retired and replaced by ATR42 and ATR72 aircraft by the end of 2009, with the last of the aircraft being donated to Hickory Aviation Museum
Hickory Aviation Museum
Hickory Aviation Museum is an aerospace museum at the Hickory Regional Airport in Hickory, North Carolina. It features a museum located in the former airport terminal with artifacts, a hangar with aircraft and outdoor exhibits of aircraft on the former airport ramp.-Exhibits:Most aircraft in the...
. The United States Army Parachute Team
United States Army Parachute Team
The United States Army Parachute Team, nicknamed and commonly known as the Golden Knights, is a demonstration and competition parachute team of the United States Army...
continues to use a C-31A Troopship for its diving exhibitions in 2011.
In the early 1980s, Fokker developed a successor to the Friendship, the Fokker 50. Although based on the F27-500 airframe, the Fokker 50 is virtually a new aircraft with Pratt & Whitney Canada
Pratt & Whitney Canada
Pratt & Whitney Canada is a Canadian aircraft engine manufacturer. PWC's headquarters are in Longueuil, Quebec, just outside Montreal. It is a division of the larger US-based Pratt & Whitney , itself a business unit of United Technologies...
engines and modern systems. Its general performance and passenger comfort were improved over the F27.
Variants
- F27-100 - was the first production model; 44 passengers.
- F27-200 - uses the Dart Mk 532 engine.
- F27-300 Combiplane - Civil passenger/cargo aircraft.
- F27-300M Troopship - Military transport version for Royal Netherlands Air ForceRoyal Netherlands Air ForceThe Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with four pilots...
. - F27-400 - "Combi" passenger/cargo aircraft, with two Rolls-Royce Dart 7 turboprop engines and large cargo door.
- F27-400M - Military version for US Army with designation C-31A Troopship, still in use in 2011.
- F27-500 - The -500, had a 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) longer fuselageFuselageThe fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
, a return to the Dart Mk 528 engine, and accommodation for up to 52 passengers. It first flew in November 1967. - F27-500M - Military version.
- F27-500F - A version of the -500 for Australia with smaller front and rear doors.
- F27-600 - Quick change cargo/passenger version of -200 with large cargo door.
- F27-700 - A F27-100 with a large cargo door.
- F27 200-MAR - Unarmed maritime reconnaissance version.
- F27 Maritime Enforcer - Armed maritime reconnaissance version.
- FH-227Fairchild Hiller FH-227The Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 were versions of the Fokker F27 Friendship twin-engined turboprop passenger aircraft manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States...
- Fairchild Hiller stretched version.
Operators
Notable accidents and incidents
- TAA Fokker Friendship disasterTAA Fokker Friendship disasterThe crash of Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538, also known as the TAA Fokker Friendship disaster, was the second largest loss of life in an Australian aircraft accident, with 29 deaths. It occurred on 10 June 1960 at Mackay, Queensland, Australia...
- June 10, 1960 Mackay, QueenslandMackay, QueenslandMackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: 29 fatalities - this is still the deadliest civilian Australian aircraft accident in history. The investigation was not able to determine a probable cause of this accident. The accident was critical in the development of the flight recorderFlight recorderA flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of an aircraft accident or incident. For this reason, flight recorders are required to be capable of surviving the conditions likely to be encountered in a severe aircraft...
to record parameters to aid investigations of future airliner accidents.
- On January 30, 1971 Indian Airlines Fokker Friendship aircraft Ganga was hijacked by Hashim Quereshi and his cousin Ashraf Butt and was flown to LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
where the passengers and crew were released and plane was burnt on February 1, 1971.
- Pakistan International Airlines Flight 631Pakistan International Airlines Flight 631On 8 December 1972 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 631 was on a flight from Gilgit Airport to Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Pakistan. The Fokker F-27 registration AP-AUS had 22 passengers and 4 crew on board the aircraft...
crashed on December 8, 1972 GilgitGilgitGilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
, PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
: 26 fatalities.
- On September 15, 1978, a Philippine Air ForcePhilippine Air ForceThe Philippine Air Force is the air force of the Republic of the Philippines, and one of the three main services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas....
F-27 crashed due to windshear. 15 of the 24 people on board were killed, as well as 17 people on the ground.
- On March 29, 1979, the F-27 of Quebecair Flight 255Quebecair Flight 255Quebecair Flight 255 was a scheduled flight from Quebec City to Montreal. On March 29, 1979, a Fairchild F-27 registered CF-QBL flying the route crashed after an engine exploded shortly after take off, killing all three crew and 14 out of 21 passengers...
crashed minutes after taking off from Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport. 17 people died and 7 were injured.
- On May 26, 1980, a Nigerian Air ForceNigerian Air ForceThe Nigerian Air Force is the air arm of the Nigerian Armed Forces.It is one of the largest in West Africa, consisting of about 15,000 personnel and aircraft including 15 Chengdu F-7s, and 24 Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jets, armed helicopters, and military transport aircraft. However in recent years...
F-27 crashed due to a thunderstorm, killing all 30 people on board. The aircraft was carrying a delegation of military and government officials on a diplomatic mission.
- On August 4, 1984, a Biman Bangladesh AirlinesBiman Bangladesh AirlinesBiman Bangladesh Airlines , partly transcribed from English into Bengali and the other way around) is the flag carrier airline of Bangladesh. Its main hub is at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, and also operates flights from Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong, earning revenue...
flight from ChittagongChittagongChittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
crashed in the swamps near Shahjalal International Airport. All 45 passengers and 4 crew of the F27 died. The flight was piloted by Kaniz Fatema Roksana, the country's first female commercial pilot.
- On August 16, 1986, a Sudan AirwaysSudan AirwaysSudan Airways is the national airline of Sudan, headquartered in Khartoum. The airline operates under the IATA airline designator SD and the ICAO airline designator SUD, while its callsign is SUDANAIR....
F27 was shot down by the SPLA, killing all 60 people on board.
- On December 8, 1987, the Alianza Lima air disaster in which a Naval F27 that was transporting the Alianza LimaAlianza LimaClub Alianza Lima is a Peruvian First Division football club who plays at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in the La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. They are one of the most famous and well supported clubs in the country and the oldest team in the Peruvian First Division.Alianza enjoyed success...
footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club crashed in Lima, PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, killing the whole team.
- On October 19, 1988, thirty-four died in a VayudootVayudootVayudoot was an airline in India established on 20 January 1981 as a joint-venture between the two state-owned carriers, Indian Airlines and Air India. The airline was headquartered at New Delhi's Safdarjung Airport....
F27 crash near GuwahatiGuwahatiGuwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
- On February 12, 1990, a TAM Airlines Fokker F27 registration PT-LCG operating a flight from São Paulo-Congonhas to BauruBauru AirportBauru State Airport is an airport serving Bauru, Brazil.It is operated by DAESP.-History:The airport was built in 1939 but all scheduled traffic was transferred to Moussa Nakhl Tobias Airport, located in the adjoining municipality of Arealva upon its opening in May 2006...
, due to faulty approach procedures touched down at Bauru 775m past the runway threshold. The pilot was unable to initiate a go around procedure and went past the end of the runway hitting a car that was passing on a road nearby. One crew member and 2 occupants of the car died.
- On November 8, 1995, an Argentine Air ForceArgentine Air ForceThe Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. , it had 14,606 military and 6,854 civilian staff.-History:...
F27 registration TC-72 operating from Comodoro Rivadavia to Córdoba, crashed on mount Champaquí in Córdoba, killing all 52 people, many of them children.
- On November 11, 2002, a Laoag Air F27 crashed into Manila Bay, killing 20 people.
- On February 20, 2003, a military F27 crashed in northwestern PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
killing Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air ForceThe Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
Chief, Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali MirMushaf Ali MirAir Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir was four-star general of the Pakistan Air Force who served as the chief of air staff of the Pakistan Air Force from 20 November 2000 until his death on February 20, 2003 when the PAF Fokker F-27 he was traveling in, crashed near Kohat, Pakistan...
, his wife and 15 others.
- Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688PIA Flight 688Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688 was scheduled to operate from Multan to Lahore and Islamabad at 12:05 pm on 10 July 2006. It crashed into a field after bursting into flames a few minutes after takeoff from Multan International Airport...
carrying 45 people crashed 2–3 minutes after take off from MultanMultanMultan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
airport on July 10, 2006. There were no survivors. Engine fire was suspected as the cause of the crash.
- On April 6, 2009, an Indonesian Air ForceIndonesian Air ForceThe Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
F27 crashed in BandungBandungBandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
, IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
killing all 24 occupants on board. The cause of the incident was said to be heavy rain. The plane reportedly crashed into a hangar during its landing procedure and killed all on board. The casualties include: 6 crews, an instructor and 17 special forces trainee personnel
Specifications (F27-500)
See also
External links
- Stork Aerospace Homepage
- F27 Friendship Association *Photo Gallery (in Dutch and English)
- Fokker F27 Info