Dornier 328

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Dornier 328
300px
Sun Air of Scandinavia Dornier 328
Role Airliner
Manufacturer Dornier,
Fairchild-Dornier
First flight 6 December 1991
Introduction October 1993
Status Out of production, in service
Primary users Loganair
Air Alps
Sun Air of Scandinavia
Produced 1991-2000
Number built 217
Unit cost
$12,000,000
Developed into Fairchild Dornier 328JET

The Dornier 328 is a turboprop-powered commuter airliner. Initially produced by Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, the firm was acquired in 1996 by Fairchild Aircraft. The resulting firm, named Fairchild-Dornier, manufactured the 328 family in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, conducted sales from San Antonio, Texas, United States, and supported the product line from both locations. There is also a jet-powered version of the aircraft, the Fairchild Dornier 328JET.

Design and development

The 328 (or Do 328) program was initially begun while Dornier was still owned by Deutsche Aerospace. The basic 328 first flew on 6 December 1991,[1] and entered commercial service in October 1993.[2] The 328's new fuselage allowed for comfortable three-abreast seating, with the potential for a four-abreast configuration. Combined with the supercritical wing developed from Dornier's Do 228, this gave the 328 excellent cruise and climb capabilities. However, the 328 entered a market crowded with other competing turboprop aircraft at the time, as well as increasing competition from new regional jets in the early 1990s.[3]

In 2005, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) awarded a contract to AeroRescue for long-range Search and Rescue (SAR) capability around Australia. Five 328-100s were progressively commissioned from April 2006 [4] to February 2007 and stationed around the Australian coastline to provide a 24-hour, 30 minute response capability. The aircraft were equipped with a comprehensive electronic sensor suite by Aerodata AG in Germany including; Israel Aerospace Industries ELTA EL/M 2022A Radar, FSI Star SAFire III Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR), Direction Finder and an ARGON ST Infra Red/Ultra Violet scanner. The aircraft are also fitted with an Aeronautical Engineers Australia dispatch system, allowing rescue stores to be dropped from the aircraft through a chute through the underwing emergency exit. These are progressively being upgraded with an inflight opening cargo door to allow dispatch of larger items, up to 20-man life rafts and boat dewatering pumps for open water rescues.

328 Support Services GmbH has held the type certificate for this aircraft since June 2006.[5][6]

In February 2015, 328 Support Services GmbH was acquired by the US engineering company Sierra Nevada Corporation.[7] Owner of the company Turkish-American Engineer Fatih Ozmen established a private corporation named Özjet Havacılık Teknolojileri A.Ş. at Technopark of Bilkent University, Ankara and signed a Memorandum of understanding with the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs & Communications in order to manufacture this aircraft at Ankara.[8] In June 2015, Turkish government announced the launch of the Turkish regional aircraft project to build a modernized version of Dornier 328/Fairchild Dornier 328JET as TRJ-328 with the possibility of a turboprop or jet engine. The TRJ-328 will be a technology base for a larger TRJ-628 which is intended to be designed, developed and built entirely by Turkish engineers. TAI is in charge of the production with Turkish companies ASELSAN, TEI, HAVELSAN, Turkish Technic, Alp Aviation and Kale Aviation.[9][10]

Variants

Excellent Air Do 328-100
An AeroRescue Dornier 328-100 operated for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
A Central Mountain Air Dornier 328-100 on approach to Vancouver International Airport
  • 328-100 - Initial 328.
  • 328-110 - Standard 328 with greater range and weights
  • 328-120 - 328 with improved STOL performance.
  • 328-130 - 328 with progressive rudder authority reduction at higher airspeeds.
  • 328JET - Turbofan-powered variant, formerly the 328-300.
  • C-146A Wolfhound - Designation assigned to seventeen Dornier 328s operated by the United States Air Force's Air Force Special Operations Command.[11]

Operators

In August 2013 a total of 166 remain in operation with 48 Dornier 328-100 aircraft in airline service. Major operators include: Loganair (5), and Sky Work Airlines (5). Thirteen other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.[12]

Military/Government

 Australia
 Botswana
 United States

Civilian

 Kazakhstan
 American Samoa
 Austria
 Canada
 Colombia
 Chile
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Denmark
 Germany
 Indonesia
 Malta
 Nigeria
  Switzerland
 United Kingdom
 United States

The Dornier 328 turboprop was also operated in the past in scheduled passenger service by several U.S. regional airlines including Air Wisconsin, Horizon Air, Lone Star Airlines, and Mountain Air Express. In addition, the aircraft was previously used to provide passenger feeder services in the U.S. operating as United Express and US Airways Express flights.

Accidents

Specifications (Dornier 328-110)

General characteristics

Performance

Avionics
Honeywell Primus 2000

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. Swanborough 1992, p.123.
  2. Taylor 1999, p.195.
  3. Fairchild Dornier Gmbh Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Fairchild Dornier Gmbh, Reference for Business. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
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  5. 328 Support Services GmbH - Home Page
  6. FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet No. A45NM Revision 7
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  8. http://www.sncorp.com/AboutUs/NewsDetails/1261 Sierra Nevada Corporation Collaborates on Regional Jet Aircraft in Turkey Powerful global partnership brings unique technology to the aviation world
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  12. 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 12.16 World Airliner Census 2013. FlightGlobal. July 2013. Accessed 2014-09-09.
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External links

Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons