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ATR 72 (Avions de Transport Regional Model 72)

History of ATR 72 (Avions de Transport Regional Model 72)

ATR (Aerei da Trasporto Reionale / Avions de Transport Regional) was established in 1981 as a joint venture between the Italian Aeritalia (today Leonardo) and the French Aerospatiale (today Airbus). With the introduction of the "ATR 42" in 1985, the company gained a certain following.

More than 450 such examples were subsequently put into production, and the design served as the basis for the larger product "ATR 72".

Like the ATR 42, the ATR 72 featured a high-wing main aircraft arrangement that provided strong lift characteristics and good short-field operation. A "T-shaped" tail was used, and the rounded, stylish fuselage brought all the components together in one stylish product.

The landing gear is movable and retractable. The engines are suspended below the main-wing aircraft and housed in a streamlined nacelle. The prototype flew for the first time on October 27, 1988, and was subsequently introduced into service (via Finnair) on October 27, 1989. More than 900 prototypes of this type have been produced to date (2017), with several major variants appearing throughout their life cycle.

The design is used in both civilian and military service, the latter being used in the Italian Air Force, Pakistan Navy and Turkish Navy.

Variations

The original form was the ATR 72-100 in September 1989 with the ATR 72-101 powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW124B engines with two crew access doors on either side of the fuselage. The ATR 72-102 arrived in late 1989 with the same engine but with a cargo door at the front and a crew door at the rear. The ATR 72-200 is equipped with PW124B engines, each producing 2,400 horsepower. The ATR 72-201 and ATR 72-202 are the group's main products, and both have increased MTOW due to the engine replacement.

The ATR 72-210 has a larger cargo door for easy entry and exit, and it was switched to PW127 engines with 2,750 hp each. These engines provided better "hot and high performance" performance for the aircraft and were installed on the ATR 72-211 and ATR 72-212 models in late 1992.

The ATR 72-212A was released in early 1997 with a choice of engine - PW127F or PW127M. Each engine is equipped with a six-bladed propeller for improved performance (including MTOW). Additional perks have been added to the cockpit to simplify operation.

The ATR 72-500 originally appeared as the ATR 72-500. The ATR 72-600 can be seen as a slightly different version of the device.

ATR 72-212A

The ATR 72-212A consists of two persons with a capacity of 70 passengers. The overall length is 89 feet, the wingspan is 88.8 feet, and the height is 25 feet. Curb weight is 28,682 lbs and MTOW is 50,705 lbs. Performance includes a cruising speed of 315 miles per hour, a range of up to 950 miles and a service ceiling of 25,000 feet.

The climb rate is 1,355 feet per minute.

Other Shapes

The ATR 72 ASW variant was built as a maritime (aquatic) patrol platform in military areas. The design is based on the framework of the ATR 72-212A product and includes the provision of a variety of naval-focused weapons such as anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and depth charges.

In addition to the given submarine hunting capabilities, the aircraft can also be used for search and rescue (SAR) missions if required.

The ATR 80 is the more passenger successor (78). A pair of Allison AE2100 turboprops will power the aircraft. Not much progress has been made on this project.

Today's ATR 72

The ATR 72 series is still in service with various global operators. However, its flight operations were affected by accidents - the first major accident on record occurred in October 1994, when an American Eagle crashed in Indiana, USA, killing everyone on board. More recently, on February 4, 2015, an ATR 72 operated by TransAsia Airlines crashed on the Keelung River in Taipei only 15 of the 58 people on board survived.

The devastating accident was caught on camera.