Country of origin:

France and Italy

Description:

Commercial airliner

Power Plant:

Two 1,342 kw (1,800 shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 turboprops

Specifications:

History:

The ATR ATR-42 was one of a generation of commuter airlines designed to meet commuter airline requirements and incorporated the latest technology in the field in the design of the aircraft and the engine. It began as a collaborative programme between Aerospatiale of France and Aeritalia of Italy, with final assembly in France. A new company known as Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) was formed to design, build and market the new aircraft.

Three prototypes were built, the first (F-WEGA) making its initial flight on 16 August 1984, the second (F-WEGB) and third (F-WEGC) following in November 1984 and April 1985. Certification was obtained in September 1985, with deliveries commencing shortly thereafter, entering airline service on 9 December 1985. The French company was responsible for the wing, horizontal tail surfaces, rudder, engine nacelles, instrumentation and avionics, and final assembly. Aeritalia produced the fuselage, tail fin, primary cockpit structure, undercarriage, flight controls and various instruments.

Several variants were made available, including: ATR-42-200 with a crew of two and four-seat abreast seating for 42 to 50 passengers; ATR-42F commercial freighter; ATR-42L military freighter; ATR-42S maritime patrol; ATR-42-300 with minor structural changes to permit a loaded weight of 16,150 kg (35,605 lb); and SAR-42 search-and-rescue/maritime surveillance. This was later developed to the ATR-42MP Surveyor for maritime and coastal surveillance, search-and-rescue, pollution detection and control, etc.

The initial production variant the ATR-42-300 was the standard model until 1996 when it was replaced by the similar ATR-42-320 having more powerful PW121 engines to provide better hot and high performance. The ATR-42-Cargo was a quick-change freight/passenger variant. Development led to the ATR-42-500 which was an improved variant with PW127E engines, these providing an increased cruising speed to 565 km/h (351 mph), an EFIS cockpit, elevators and rudders of the stretched ATR-72, new brakes and undercarriage, and strengthened wing and fuselage to permit increased weights. More than 700 ATR-42s have been built.

In October 1984 Air Queensland announced it had ordered four ATR-42s, with spares, but delivery was to be delayed until March 1986, all four to have 1,342 kw (1,800 shp) Pratt & Whitney PW120 engines. At the time of the order the Chairman of the airline stated “the aircraft would offer Queensland the very best in speed, comfort, pressurization and in-flight facilities. It will cruise at 470 km/h (292 mph) and is equipped with ground cabin air-conditioning for passenger comfort – the interior is a passenger’s delight”.

The first aircraft was delivered on 1 May 1986 and became VH-AQC (c/n 12A – ex F-WWIE). This aircraft was delivered by the Air Queensland Manager of Airline Standards from Toulouse in France via Athens, Bahrain, New Delhi, Madras, Singapore, Darwin and Cairns, arriving on 1 May 1986. It was then used for crew training and route proving flights before entering service on 22 May, flying from Brisbane to Thangool and Gladstone.

The other three were to become VH-AQD (c/n 19 – ex F-WWEF), VH-AQE (c/n 16) and VH-AQF (c/n 025). However, soon after arrival of the first two aircraft there was an economic downturn. Delivery of the third and fourth aircraft was delayed and they were offered for dry lease. In fact the last two were never registered, the registrations not being taken up.

In August 1986 Air Pacific based in Fiji (later Fiji Airways) announced it had selected the ATR-42-300 and, pending delivery, leased the third and fourth Air Queensland aircraft, the first becoming DQ-FEJ (c/n 16), which arrived at Cairns on 3 November 1986, the second becoming DQ-FEK (c/n 025). The type was also delivered to Air Caledonie and Air Polynesie in the south Pacific.

The two ATR-42s which entered service did not remain in Australian service for long and were exported, VH-AQC being exported to Yugoslavia on 16 June 1987 as YU-ALL, later OY-CIF, F-WQBT, and LY-ARI. VH-AQD was exported to Yugoslavia as YU-ALK on 1 July 1987.

The type has also been used in this area by Airlink in New Guinea, these aircraft occasionally visiting north Queensland for servicing, registrations including P2-ALA. HeviLift in New Guinea has operated three examples: P2-KSJ, an ATR-42-320 (c/n 096 – ex VH-FLH); P2-KSR, a further ATR-42-320 (c/n 194 – ex VH-FLE); andP2-KSV, an ATR-42-500 (c/n 501 – ex OY-RUL).

In March 2007 Queensland operator MacAir took delivery of an ATR-42-500 for services, this aircraft becoming VH-UYJ (c/n 571 – ex F-OHQV). However, after the company closed down, the aircraft was stored in Queensland for some time before being exported to Denmark as OY-ELD in September 2011.

In March 2007 it was also announced that Brisbane-based Jetcraft was obtaining three used ATR-42-300s for charter work, mainly carrying passengers to un-paved mine-site airstrips in hot conditions, the first aircraft becoming VH-TOQ (c/n 079) in June 2007, followed by VH-TOX (c/n 024) in August 2007.

Further examples have been registered, including VH-AVV (c/n 304), an ATR-42-320 operated by Asia Pacific Aerospace of Eagle Farm and VH-FLE (c/n 194), an ATR-42-320 operated by Flight Line Services of Cairns.

Further examples have been imported to this part of the world, an example becoming P2-KSL (c/n 497) with HeviLift Ltd of Waigani in New Guinea in December 2014, followed by P2-KSD (c/n 551) with the same operator at Mt Hagen.