BAe 146

History

Introduced by British Aerospace (BAe) in 1983, the BAe 146 has been used for decades as a civil and military airliner/VIP/cargo carrier. A total of 387 were produced in several notable variants, making this the most successful commercial aircraft program of British origin and folk-mindedness.

The aircraft will remain in service until 2014, as this type is still used by many aircraft around the world due to its inherent capabilities and "quiet" operation compared to jets.

The origin of the BAe 146 was an initiative of Hawke Sidley Airways in August 1973. The product is a company project to produce low-noise, short-range, jet-powered aircraft. The design originates from a traditional tubular fuselage, forward cockpit, shoulder-mounted wings with two engines per wing, and a T-tail. The product received "HS. 146" and was further developed under limited conditions, despite the global economic crisis.

After the storm subsided, HS drove. The 146 becomes a viable product for short-haul needs. However, Hawke Sidley left the aircraft business in 1977 and eventually collapsed completely and left HS in 1992. The 146 is now a product of British Aerospace, which has been renamed "BAe 146".

The BAe 146 completed its maiden flight as a prototype on September 3, 1981, and received the required certification in 1983. Official deliveries to waiting customers began in May of this year.

The BAe 146 series spans three main production models, each based on passenger seats that directly determine the length of the fuselage. The base model is the "146-100" for 94 seats, followed by the "146-200" for 85 to 100 seats and the "146-300" for 100 to 112 seats.

By comparison, the 146-200 design had a barrel length of 94 feet, while the original 146-100 product had a barrel length of 86 feet. On all models, the operating crew remains two, and power is provided by four Textron Lycoming ALF 502R-3 or -5 Series turbofan engines, each delivering nearly 7,000 pounds of thrust.

Cruising speed reaches 500 mph and range is specified up to 1,800 miles.

This type of "quiet" operation soon led to her being marketed as a low-noise freighter under the designation BAe 146QT (QT = "Quiet Merchant"). A modular variant of the BAe 146QC (QC = "Quick Change") was born, allowing operators to actively convert the interior configuration for use as a passenger or cargo aircraft as needed. The 146QT subsequently influenced the promising - though eventually abandoned - military-oriented transport of the BAe 146STA ("Small Tactical Transport"). The 146STA is an improved design with a cargo door and an in-flight refueling probe at the rear of the fuselage. This type can be used to transport cargo or transport airborne troops.

The brand has only completed one flying prototype and has not received any orders.

By the 1990s, the BAe 146 paved the way for an equivalent design released under the Avro product banner as "Avro RJ". The series includes three BAe 146 models, named RJ70, RJ85 and RJ100, with various improvements. The upcoming Avro RJX will feature the more efficient Honeywell AS977 turbofan engine, although - although one prototype eventually flew - the project was cancelled in 2001, with three prototypes completed (each representing three expected form of production). The RJ115 is offered by Avro as a modified RJ100, albeit with a revised hatch plan and increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW).

There is no production here either.

In 2009, British Aerospace, now the "BAe System", introduced its BAe 146M product, which features an all-glass cockpit, customizable interior configuration, increased fuel capacity and off-road capability.

Civilian operators of the BAe 146 have proven themselves many times, while military operators are more reluctant. In the civilian market, the aircraft has been adopted by countries such as Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Germany, Indonesia, Libya, Mexico, the Philippines, Taiwan, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Military customers include Austria, Bahrain, Bolivia, Mali, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

RAF BAe 146 serving as VIP transport aircraft in "The Queen's Flight", originally leased and CC-calibrated. 1. A pair (BAe 146-200) subsequently entered official service, replacing outgoing 1950s Hawker Siddeley Andover in the CC role. 2 Specify. The aircraft was delivered in 1986 and a third was added in 1990. A pair of RAF BAe 146-200QC models have also been retrofitted with countermeasure systems for active use over the Afghan theater of operations.

The RAF also uses the BAe 146M as a bridge between its outbound fleet of Lockheed C-130 Hercules and an inbound fleet of Airbus Military A400M Atlas transport aircraft.

Specification

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