|
Avions de Transport Regional ATR42
The launch customer was Air Littorial, a French regional operator, which began operating the type in the following December. The ATR 42-300 (the higher weight version) accommodates a maximum of 50 passengers, but a more typical layout is for 46 passengers. In addition to the generous overhead lock-ers, baggage compartments are provided both behind the flightdeck and in the rear fuselage. The aircraft is powered by two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW120s, flat rated at 1800shp and driving Hamilton Standard four-bladed composite propellors. The ATR 42 structure makes extensive use of composites, particularly Keviar/Nomex sandwich for the wing and tail leading edges, wing and undercar-riage fairings, and fuselage tail cone. Carbon/Nomex sandwich is used for the rudder, elevators, flaps, and engine na-celles, and carbon monolithic structure is used for the ailerons and outer wing pan-els. using experience gained with the Airbus, the flight deck is EFIS-equipped. Subsequently the consortium has devel-oped the ATR 72, a stretched version of the ATR 42 which uses the same wings and tail but uprated engines.
The ATR 42-600 pre-series aircraft (F-WWLY c/n 811) completed its maiden flight on 4 March 2010 from Toulouse Blagnac Airport in southern France. The two-hour flight included tests of the Pratt & Whitney PW127M turboprops, the balance of the propellers, the new avionics, hydraulic and electrical systems. The ATR 42-600 will undertake a 75hour flight test campaign. Many of the systems are the same as used in the ATR 72-600, which began its 150-hour flight test programme in July 2009. To March 2010 ATR had orders for five 42-600s and 54 72-600s.
|
