Country of origin:

Germany

Description:

Light regional airliner and utility transport

Power Plant:

(Do-228-200)

Two 533 kw (715 shp) Garrett AiResearch TPE 331-5-252D turboprops

Specifications:

History:

In June 1979 Dornier tested an aircraft called the Dornier Do-228TNT. A new commuter airliner with an advanced technology wing, it was aimed at the 15/19-seat commuter market. The initial model was the Do-228-100, the prototype of which flew on 28 March 1981. This was the basic variant, and the Model 101 had a reinforced fuselage for higher operating weights.

The prototype of the Do-228-200 series was flown on 9 May 1981, this having the fuselage lengthened from 15.03 m (49 ft 3 in) to 16.56 m (54 ft 4 in). Customer deliveries began in February 1982, and the type was licence produced in India by the Kanpur Division of Hindustan Aircraft, these being supplied to the Indian Coast Guard, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy.

Production of the Dornier Do-228 in Germany concluded in 1999, HAL in India becoming the sole source thereafter for the type.

Other variants have included the Do-228-201 with higher operating weights; the Do-228-202 with increased payload/range performance; and the Do-228-203F freighter. The type has also been offered around the world for maritime patrol duties, paratroop transport, signals intelligence, and medevac duties.

A number of Dornier Do-228s have operated in this region. In 1985 the now defunct National Safety Council (NSCA) imported Do-228-200 VH-NSC (c/n 8058 – D-IERA, D-CERA), which later was sold in the United Kingdom as G-SJAC, later going to Germany as D-IHKB. In 1987 it was re-imported by the NSCA and became VH-NSX in January 1988. It remained for a period until exported to Germany as D-CMIC.

In December 1987 and August 1988 the NSCA imported two more Do-228-200s, these becoming VH-NSZ (c/n 8077 – ex G-BAND, D-CESI) and VH-NSH (c/n 8123 – ex D-CEZA). When the NSCA collapsed they were placed in storage until sold overseas, the latter two becoming N2255Y and N2255E in the United States.

In April 1991 Astral Air Services of Wellington, New Zealand, part of the Tranzair Group, imported two Do-228-212s and these became ZK-TRA (c/n 8186) and ZK-TRB (c/n 8187). Later a Do-228-101 was imported and became ZK-TRD (c/n 7168 – ex D-CBDY). These aircraft operated commuter services, linking Napier with Wellington and Auckland. However, they were only in service a few weeks (38 days) when the company ceased operations and the aircraft departed overseas, one operating for a period with Milne Bay Air in Papua-New Guinea before going to Venezuela.

In May 2005 a further example arrived, a Do-228-202K which became VH-UJD (c/n 8124 – ex JA8866) to General Aviation Maintenance Pty Ltd of Essendon, VIC, this aircraft later being delivered in November 2005 to Reefwatch Air Tours of Cairns, QLD.

In December 2007 two more aircraft were registered to General Aviation Maintenance, a Do-228-201 and a Do-228-202, these becoming VH-VJF (c/n 8047) and VH-VJJ (c/n 8025).

Other Do-228s in this region have included two with Air Caledonie in Noumea (F-ODYB and F-ODYC); four with Air Marshall Islands, being one Do-228-100, one Do-228-201 and two Do-228–212s (MI-8504, MI-8605, V7-9206 and V7-9207); two with Air Moorea of Papeete, Tahiti (F-OHAA and F-OHAF); and one with Air Tahiti, being a Do-228-212 (F-OHB). Milne Bay Air of Port Moresby, PNG has operated seven (P2-MBH, P2-MBO, P2-MBP, P2-MBQ, P2-MBR, P2-MBV and P2-MBW) and Tahiti Conquest Airlines has operate one Do-228-212 (F-ODUN).

In June 1996 Trans Pacific Airlines imported a Do-228-202K and this became VH-URU (c/n 8162 – ex G-BVTY, D-CUBI, PH-FXA, D-CATY), entering service in northern Queensland from York Island in the Torres Strait to Cairns and Townsville, but it was exported to Germany in May 1997.

A Do-228-202 ZK-VIR (c/n 8100 – ex C-FEQS, D-COHC, N228DA, N275MC, P2-MBO) was imported to New Zealand in early 2006 for Air West Coast Ltd of Haupiri, later being exported to Curacao.

In August 2006 another Do-228-202K VH-VJD (c/n 8157) was imported and registered to General Aviation & Maintenance Pty Ltd of Essendon, VIC. In October 2017 it was exported to Kenya. This company later added further examples to its fleet, being VH-VJB (c/n 8040 – ex 5N-DOG, N233RP, D-IDBI) and VH-VJE (c/n 8041 – ex 5N-DOC, N234RP, D-IDBJ), followed by VH-YJD (c/n 8174).

In late 2006 a Do-228-212 was imported for Airlines of Tasmania, becoming VH-ATZ (c/n 819 – ex F-OHAA, D-CDWK, D-CBDK) on 22 December 2006.

In 2009 the first shipset of a new developed variant of the Do-228 was shipped from Hindustan Aeronautics in India to RUAG Aerospace Services in Germany where the fuselage, wings and empennage of this model, know as the Do-228NG, were mated with digital avionics and Honeywell TPE-331 engines driving five-blade composite propellers at the assembly plant at Oberpfaffenhofen. Deliveries of this model commenced in 2010 with five examples being ordered by an Australian customer but these aircraft have not been imported.