It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound, at Mach 2.04 (1,354 mph or 2,180 km/h at cruise altitude), with seating for 92 to 128 passengers. First flown in 1969, Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued flying for the next 27 years. It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially; the other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144, which operated in the late 1970s.

The original programme cost estimate of £70 million met huge overruns and delays, with the program eventually costing £1.3 billion. It was this extreme cost that became the main factor in the production run being much smaller than anticipated. Later, another factor, which affected the viability of all supersonic transport programmes, was that supersonic flight could only be used on ocean-crossing routes, to prevent sonic boom disturbance over populated areas.

Among other destinations, Concorde flew regular transatlantic flights from London's Heathrow Airport and Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia and Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados; it flew these routes in less than half the time of other airliners.

For much more information on the development and history of the Concorde, click here.

The Airbus A220 is a family of five-abreast narrow-body airliners by Airbus Canada Limited Partnership. It was originally designed by Bombardier and had two years in service as the Bombardier CSeries. The program was launched on 13 July 2008, the smaller A220-100 (formerly CS100) made its maiden flight on 16 September 2013, was awarded an initial type certification by Transport Canada on 18 December 2015, and entered service on 15 July 2016 with launch operator Swiss Global Air Lines. The longer A220-300 (formerly CS300) first flew on 27 February 2015, received an initial type certification on 11 July 2016, and entered service with airBaltic on 14 December 2016.

Powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines under its wings, the twinjet features fly-by-wire flight controls, a carbon composite wing, an aluminium-lithium fuselage and optimised aerodynamics for better fuel efficiency. The aircraft family offers maximum take-off weights from 63.1 to 70.9 t (139,000 to 156,000 lb), and cover a 6,390–6,670 km (3,450–3,600 nmi) range. Both launch operators recorded better-than-expected fuel burn and dispatch reliability, as well as positive feedback from passengers and crew. As of March 2022, the global A220 fleet had completed more than 530,000 flights over 815,000 block hours without accidents.

The 35 m (115 ft) long A220-100 seats 108 to 133, while the 38.7 m (127 ft) long A220-300 seats 130 to 160. The ACJ TwoTwenty is the business jet version of the A220-100, launched in late 2020. As of March 2022, a total of 740 A220s had been ordered of which 204 had been delivered and were all in commercial service with 15 operators. Delta Air Lines is the largest operator with 55 aircraft in its fleet. At t he end of April 2022, QANTAS announced an order for 20 A220 aircraft as part of its domestic fleet replacement.

The A220 family complements the A319neo in the Airbus range and competes with the largest variants of the Embraer E-Jet E2 family and the smaller Boeing 737 MAX-7 variant. In July 2018, the aircraft was rebranded as the A220 after Airbus acquired a 50.01% stake in the programme through a joint venture established in 2016. In August 2019, a second final assembly line opened at Airbus Mobile in Alabama, supplementing the main facility in Mirabel, Quebec. In February 2020, Airbus increased its share to 75% as Bombardier exited the program, while the Quebec government's Investissement Québec held the 25% balance.

For a detailed history of the development from the Bombardier C series to the A220, click here.

The Airbus A220 family of narrow-body aircraft was originally designed by Bombardier under the CSeries programme. The highly efficient engines and extensive use of composite materials, like the wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 XWB, contribute together up to 14% lower cash operating costs. The geared turbofan engine and the optimised aerodynamics can save up to 25% fuel per seat, a 25% reduction in maintenance costs and a noise footprint area up to 50% smaller than previous generation aircraft with a 18 EPNdB margin to chapter 4. The larger A220-300 (former CS300), is 6 tonnes lighter than the A319neo and nearly 8 tons lighter than the Boeing 737 MAX 7, helping it to achieve up to 12% operating costs savings and 15% with the current models.

The family includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, as well as the ACJ business jet. The A320s are also named A320ceo (current engine option) following the introduction of the A320neo (new engine option). The aircraft family can accommodate up to 236 passengers and has a range of 3,100 to 12,000 km (1,700 to 6,500 nmi), depending on model.

The first member of the A320 family—the A320—was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was first delivered in March 1988 to launch customer Air France. The family was extended to include the A321 (first delivered 1994), the A319 (1996), and the A318 (2003). The A320 family pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire flight control systems, as well as side-stick controls, in commercial aircraft. There has been a continuous improvement process since introduction.

As of 30 June 2019, 8899 units had been produced.

For full details of the A320 family, click here.

Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300, its first airliner, and developed the A330 twinjet in parallel with the A340 quadjet. In June 1987, Airbus launched both designs with their first orders. The A330-300, the first variant, took its maiden flight in November 1992 and entered service with Air Inter in January 1994. The slightly shorter A330-200 variant followed in 1998. In 2014, Airbus launched the A330neo, re-engined with Trent 7000 turbofans, which entered service in November 2018.

The A330 shares its airframe with the early A340 variants, having two engines instead of four, two main landing gear legs instead of three, lower weights and slightly different lengths. Both airliners have fly-by-wire controls, which was first introduced on the A320, as well as a similar glass cockpit. The A330 was Airbus's first airliner to offer a choice of three engines: the General Electric CF6, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or the Rolls-Royce Trent 700.

As of December 2019, A330 orders stand at 1,823 of which 1,492 have been delivered and 1,443 remain in operation. Its largest operator is Turkish Airlines with 68 aircraft. The A330 has allowed Airbus to expand its wide-body market share. It competes with the Boeing 767 and smaller variants of the 777 and the 787. It is complemented by the larger Airbus A350 XWB which succeeded the A340.

For more details, click here.

Specifications below are for the 330-300 model.

In the mid-1970s, Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300, its first airliner, and developed the A340 quadjet in parallel with the A330 twinjet.

Keeping the eight-abreast economy cross-section of the A300, the early A340-200/300 has a similar airframe to the A330. Differences include four 151 kN (34,000 lbf) CFM56s instead of two high-thrust turbofans to bypass ETOPS restrictions on trans-oceanic routes, and a three-leg main landing gear instead of two for a heavier 276 t (608,000 lb) MTOW. Both airliners have fly-by-wire controls, which was first introduced on the A320, as well as a similar glass cockpit. The later A340-500/600 have a larger wing and are powered by 275 kN (62,000 lbf) Rolls-Royce Trent 500 for a heavier 380 t (840,000 lb) MTOW.

The shortest A340-200 measured 59.4 m (195 ft), and could cover 12,400 km / 6,700 nmi with 210-250 seats in 3-class. The most common A340-300 reached 63.7 m (209 ft) to accommodate 250-290 passengers and had a 13,500 km / 7,300 nmi range. The A340-500 was 67.9 m (223 ft) long to seat 270-310 over 16,670 km / 9,000 nmi, the longest-range airliner at the time. The longest A340-600 was stretched to 75.4 m (247 ft), then the longest airliner, to accommodate 320-370 passengers over 14,450 km / 7,800 nmi.

Formore details on the design, development, production, history and variants, click here.

The specifications below are for the 340-300 model.

The first A350 design proposed by Airbus in 2004, in response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, would have been a development of the A330 with composite wings and new engines. As market support was inadequate, in 2006 Airbus switched to a clean-sheet "XWB" (eXtra Wide Body) design, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB turbofan engines. The prototype first flew on 14 June 2013 from Toulouse in France. Type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was received in September 2014 and certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) two months later.

The A350 XWB is the first Airbus mostly made of carbon fibre reinforced polymer. It has a new fuselage designed around a nine-abreast economy cross-section, up from the eight-abreast A330/A340. It has a common type rating with the A330. The A350 XWB has two variants: The A350-900 typically carries 300 to 350 passengers over a 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nautical miles) range and has a 280-ton (617,300-pound) maximum take-off weight (MTOW); the longer A350-1000 accommodates 350 to 410 passengers, has a maximum range of 16,100 km (8,700 nmi) and a 319 t (703,200 lb) MTOW, and is supported by two 6-wheel main landing gear trucks (the -900 has four).

On 15 January 2015, the initial A350-900 entered service with its launch operator Qatar Airways, followed by the A350-1000 on 24 February 2018 with the same airline. As of December 2019, A350 XWB orders stand at 926 of which 347 have been delivered and 312 are in operation. The largest operator is the airliner's launch customer, Qatar Airways, with 48 A350 XWBs in its fleet.It succeeds the A340 and is positioned to compete against the Boeing 777, 777X, and 787-10.

For the rest of the A350 XWB story, click here.

Qantas and Project Sunrise

Qantas will delay the purchase of Airbus A350-1000 jets for non-stop Project Sunrise flights to London and New York, pushing back its final decision until the end of 2020, as the airline moves into 'survival mode' to deal with the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The airline had previously been working to an Airbus-imposed deadline of March 31 to sign on the dotted line, which in turn hinged upon issues of how the new jets would be crewed, with Qantas in negotiations with its pilots but also flagging the willingness to hire new pilots dedicated to the Sunrise fleet.

Earlier this month, as Covid-19 flared across the globe, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce confirmed that he had asked Airbus for an extended deadline.

To read more about Project Sunrise, click here.

The specifications below are for the A350-1000 model.

In 2011, Airbus redesigned the A350-1000 with higher weights and a more powerful engine variant to provide more range for trans-Pacific operations. This boosted its appeal to Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, who were committed to purchase 20 Boeing 777-9s, and to United Airlines, which was considering Boeing 777-300ERs to replace its 747-400s. Emirates was disappointed with the changes and cancelled its order for 50 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, instead of changing the whole order to the larger variant.

Assembly of the first fuselage major components started in September 2015. In February 2016, final assembly started at the A350 Final Assembly Line in Toulouse. Three flight test aircraft were planned, with entry into service scheduled for mid-2017. The first aircraft completed its body join on 15 April 2016. Its maiden flight took place on 24 November 2016.

In 2011, Airbus redesigned the A350-1000 with higher weights and a more powerful engine variant to provide more range for trans-Pacific operations. This boosted its appeal to Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, who were committed to purchase 20 Boeing 777-9s, and to United Airlines, which was considering Boeing 777-300ERs to replace its 747-400s. Emirates was disappointed with the changes and cancelled its order for 50 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, instead of changing the whole order to the larger variant.

Assembly of the first fuselage major components started in September 2015. In February 2016, final assembly started at the A350 Final Assembly Line in Toulouse. Three flight test aircraft were planned, with entry into service scheduled for mid-2017. The first aircraft completed its body join on 15 April 2016. Its maiden flight took place on 24 November 2016.

Airbus launched the €9.5 billion ($10.7 billion) A380 programme on 19 December 2000. The first prototype was unveiled in Toulouse on 18 January 2005, with its first flight on 27 April 2005. It obtained its type certificate from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 12 December 2006.

It was first delivered to Singapore Airlines on 15 October 2007 and entered service on 25 October. Production peaked at 30 per year in 2012 and 2014. However, Airbus concedes that its $25 billion investment for the aircraft cannot be recouped. On 14 February 2019, after Emirates reduced its last orders in favour of the A350 and the A330neo, Airbus announced that A380 production would end by 2021.

The full-length double-deck aircraft, sometimes nicknamed the superjumbo, has a typical seating capacity of 525, though it is certified for up to 853 passengers. It is powered by four Engine Alliance GP7200 or Rolls-Royce Trent 900 turbofans providing a range of 8,000 nmi (14,800 km). As of December 2019, Airbus has received 251 firm orders and delivered 242 aircraft; Emirates is the biggest A380 customer with 123 ordered, of which 115 have been delivered.

For more details on design, production, entry into service and variants proposed but not built, click here.

The planes are sometimes referred to as "Elizabethans", as they were originally ordered and popularised by British European Airways as the planes used for their "Elizabethan Class" passenger service.

The Ambassador had its origin in 1943 as a requirement identified by the Brabazon Committee for a twin-engined short-to-medium-haul replacement for the Douglas DC-3. Airspeed Ltd. was asked to prepare an unpressurised design in the 14.5-ton gross weight class, using two Bristol Hercules radial engines. In 1943, the company duly set up a dispersed design office in Fairmile Manor at Cobham in Surrey.

By the time the British Ministry of Aircraft Production ordered two prototypes from Airspeed, immediately after the end of the Second World War, the design had grown substantially. The Ambassador would be pressurised, have more powerful Bristol Centaurus radials and have a maximum gross weight of almost 24 tons.

The revised design offered seating for 47 passengers and, having a tricycle undercarriage, looked more modern than the DC-3s, Curtiss Commandos, Avro Lancastrians and Vickers Vikings that were common on Europe's shorter airline routes. With three low tailfins and a long pointed nose, it shared something of the character of the larger transcontinental Lockheed Constellation.

Butler Air Transport operated 3 Ambassadors in Australia, VH-BUI, VH-BUJ, VH-BUK.

For more information, click here.

The Airspeed Consul is a twin-engined light transport aircraft and affordable airliner designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Limited. Introduced during the immediate post-war period, it was a straightforward conversion of surplus Airspeed Oxford military trainers that had been extensively used during the Second World War.

The Consul was developed into various models, each being typically suited for a particular role, such as an air ambulance, freighter, executive transport, and airliner. Airspeed marketed the type particularly heavily towards private owner-pilots and businesses, the latter being an atypical choice for the era. A number were also produced with armaments, having been militarised and exported to multiple overseas air forces. By the end of production, 162 Consuls had been produced.

During the first half of the 1930s, the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Limited produced the Envoy, an eight-seat civil transport that was also promptly attracted the attention of military operators. Accordingly, during the late 1930s, a militarised derivative of the Envoy, known as the Oxford, was developed and introduced, being primarily used as a trainer aircraft. The Oxford was used in vast numbers by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in addition to several other air forces, forming a key element of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan; a total of 8,586 were produced.
 

As early as 1940, Airspeed's management were considering the future postwar era and the fate of the large numbers of Oxfords that the company was mass-producing at that time; recognising that military demands would be curtailed, it was thus sensible for surplus aircraft to be converted for use by civilian operators instead. It was recognised that an affordable general purpose twin-engined transport aircraft, suitable for use as an airliner, would likely appeal to such operators. Having planned in advance of the conflict's end, following Victory in Europe Day, Airspeed quickly negotiated to buy back Oxfords from the British government, arranging the purchase of not only complete aircraft but also partially-assembled examples that were in progress at various factories.

For more details of development, operational history and operators, click here.

The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was a twin-engined light transport aircraft designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Ltd.

The Envoy originated as a heavier twin-engine derivative of Airspeed's Courier light transport aircraft. Sharing much of its design with this earlier aircraft, it was relatively easy to develop; confidence in the project was so high that within a week of the prototype's maiden flight, it was performing as a display aircraft to the public. Quantity production of the Envoy had been initiated even before this first flight. Early on, Airspeed worked closely with the British engine manufacturer Wolseley Motors as both a key supplier and early custom of the Envoy; development subsequently branched out to a wide variety of engines and configurations.

The majority of Envoys were produced by Airspeed at their facility at Portsmouth Aerodrome, Hampshire. The type was also produced overseas in Japan by Mitsubishi following the acquisition of a licence at the company's Nagoya factory; it was locally known as the Mitsubishi Hinazuru-type Passenger Transport. While many customers of the Envoy were in the civilian sector, where it was used for a variety of purposes from air racing to operating as an airliner, it also found an audience with military operators. The Convertible Envoy was developed for South Africa, which sought a model that could be rapidly reconfigured between civilian and military duties, being outfitted for use as a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft for the latter capacity. The Envoy served as the basis for the Airspeed Oxford, a militarised trainer aircraft operated in large numbers by the Allies in and around the Second World War.

The Airspeed Envoy was a twin-engined low-wing cabin monoplane of all-wood construction apart from fabric covered control surfaces. It had a rearward retracting main undercarriage with a fixed tailwheel. Having been designed from the onset as a twin-engined development of the company's earlier Courier, numerous commonalities were shared between the two aircraft, including near-identical wooden construction, the same outer wing panels and the main undercarriage.

The airframe had a plywood exterior while the structure was composed of wood as well and was considered to be conventional for the era. In a typical configuration, the cabin could accommodate eight passengers along with a single pilot, while the Envoy's normal fuel capacity was 78 gallons, accommodated within a pair of aluminium tanks in the centre section. A separate aft compartment was normally used to store baggage, accessible via an exterior door on the starboard side of the aircraft. If the optional lavatory was installed, a reduced maximum capacity of six passengers was necessary. Passenger access to the cabin was via a single door on the port side of the aircraft.

For further details on development, design, operational history and 13 variants, click here.

The Airspeed AS.4 Ferry was three-engined ten-seat biplane airliner designed and built by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Limited. It was the company's first powered aircraft to be produced.

It was proposed for development in April 1931, shortly following Airspeed's founding. The Ferry was designed specifically for Alan Cobham's National Aviation Day events, performing 'air-experience' flights for the general public. On 5 April 1932, the prototype performed its maiden flight. Only four examples were produced at the company's facilities in York during the early 1930s. Two aircraft served with the Royal Air Force during the opening years of the Second World War, although largely being used as instructional airframes.

The Airspeed AS.4 Ferry was an unusual biplane airliner designed around the needs of Alan Cobham, one of the company's directors. It featured an unorthodox configuration, particularly the mounting of its third engine in the centre section of the upper wing, an arrangement which was principally adopted to provide the pilot with superior external visibility, although it also presented some aerodynamic benefits as well. The three engines installed upon the Ferry consisted of a pair of de Havilland Gipsy IIs mounted upon the upper surface of the lower wing, while the engine installed upon the upper wing was an inverted de Havilland Gipsy III instead. While the fuel tanks of the Ferry had sufficient size for around five hours of flight at cruising speeds, to best suit its air-experience role, the tanks were only ever partially filled, else it wouldn't be able to carry its maximum capacity of ten passengers.

The Ferry was a biplane with equal-span wings, both of which were positioned high relative to the fuselage, with the lower wing being aligned with the top of the fuselage. According to Alan Cobham, this arrangement was to provide the passengers with an unobstructed view of the ground. The structure of the aircraft was conventional and largely composed of spruce and plywood, featuring monocoque construction across the fuselage. The wings were supported by box spars paired with wooden flanges and steel tubes for key areas such as the compression drag struts.

While the Ferry had been designed specifically for short-haul pleasure flying, the design team made provisions towards its use in other roles, such as a longer distance airliner carrying five or six passengers with luggage. Despite having ten seats, which necessitated the fitting of a radio under British regulations of the era, it was certified for local flying without any radio present. To enable a faster turnaround, relatively rapid refuelling was facilitated via a pipeline to the tank from the side of the fuselage. An unusual feature of the design, believed to provide a beneficial ground-cushioning effect as well as possibly additional lift, was the aerofoil-section fairings present on the split-axle undercarriage.

For details of development and operational istory, click here.

The ANEC I and ANEC II were 1920s British single-engine ultralight aircraft designed and built by Air Navigation and Engineering Company Limited at Addlestone Surrey. One was privately constructed in Brisbane, Australia.

The ANEC I and II, designed by W.S Shackleton, were amongst the earliest ultralight aircraft; they were very small, wooden, strut braced high-wing monoplanes. The first ANEC I, registered G-EBHR, first flew at Brooklands on 21 August 1923. It was the first aircraft with an inverted engine, a 696 cc Blackburne Tomtit, to fly in the United Kingdom. The ANEC I was designed to the rules of the 1923 Lympne light aircraft trials, principally an engine capacity limit of 750 cc, and the two aircraft completed that August took part. The main prizes were for fuel economy and the second ANEC I G-EBIL, flown by Jimmy James, shared half of the £1,500 prize with an English Electric Wren for flights of 87.5 miles (141 km) on one gallon (4.54 L) of petrol. He later reached an altitude of 14,000 ft (4,267 m) in it. G-EBIL was evaluated by the Air Ministry in 1924, briefly carrying the RAF serial J7506.[3] Afterwards it was modified with a wingspan greatly reduced from 32 ft to 18 ft 4 in (9.75 m to 5.59 m) and re-engined with a 1,000 cc Anzani engine for entry in the 1925 Lympne August Bank Holiday Races, designated the ANEC IA.

Only one more ANEC I was constructed. It was built in Australia by George Beohm, who went on to design the Genairco Biplane, and Horrie Miller. E. W. Beckman, the owner of the aircraft, intended to enter it in the Low-Powered Aeroplane Competition held at Richmond in December 1924, but it was not completed until the following year. The first of the two built in the United Kingdom in 1923, G-EBHR, was exported to Australia in the second half of 1924.

The ANEC II was an enlarged version of the ANEC I built for the 1924 Lympne light aircraft trials competition. Following the revised competition rules, it was a two-seater and its more powerful 1,100 cc Anzani inverted V twin-cylinder had the greatest capacity allowed. The wing area was increased by 28% to accommodate the extra weight by a 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) span extension. It was also longer by almost the same amount. Engine problems kept it from flying in the competition and out of the Grosvenor Trophy race that immediately followed.

In 1927 a new owner refitted it with a 32 hp (24 kW) Bristol Cherub III flat twin engine, a larger rudder, and a more conventional undercarriage with larger wheels mounted on a cross axle attached to the lower fuselage with a pair of V-struts. In 1931 another new owner fitted a heavier 30 hp (22 kW) ABC Scorpion engine, another flat twin and, to keep the weight down, reworked it as a single seater. It was in this condition when it was acquired by Richard Shuttleworth in about 1937.

Variants

ANEC I – three built   (Specifications below)
ANEC IA – ANEC I with reduced wingspan, one modified.
ANEC II – two-seat version, one built.

A total of 104 aircraft were built, including the prototype and static test airframes, entering service with the Ukrainian Civil Aviation Directorate of Aeroflot from 27 April 1959, proving popular due to large cargo volume (when fitted with reduced seating) and excellent field performance, making the aircraft suitable for use on small undeveloped airfields. The Antonov Bureau simultaneously developed and produced the Antonov An-8 medium military transport, the An-10 civil airliner and military paratroop transport, as well as the Antonov An-12 military cargo transport.

Configured with 85 seats, the cabin was spacious and well-appointed with comfortable seats widely spaced, giving plenty of legroom, but due to the low cabin floor and wide diameter, there was much unusable space which limited baggage and cargo volume. The inefficient use of cabin volume contributed greatly to the low payload/TOW ratio which was much lower than that of the contemporary Ilyushin Il-18, but which was still higher than the Tupolev Tu-104. A later production version, the An-10A, addressed some of the efficiency concerns by increasing the number of seats from 85 to 89 and 100 (in the two versions of the An-10A), then to 117–118 and finally 132 through reducing seat pitch and changing the cabin layout. Powered by Ivchenko AI-20K engines the An-10A demonstrated superior performance and an increased maximum payload of 14.5 Tonnes (31,970 lb). The auxiliary endplate fins eventually gave way to improved splayed ventral fins under the rear fuselage. The directional stability was now acceptable and the new ventral fins also improved longitudinal stability at high g and on landing approach, as well as delaying the onset of Mach buffet to M0.702. Due to being sited in an area of flow separation, the new ventral fins also caused unpleasant vibrations. Following results of flight tests and at least two fatal crashes, an effective tailplane deicing system was retrofitted to all remaining aircraft.

Variants
Izdeliye U – The in-house designation of the four-engined passenger aircraft derived from the Izdeliye N An-8 project.[1]
An-10 – The designation of the prototype and initial production versions fitted with Kuznetsov NK-4 or Ivchenko Ai-20A engines.
An-10A – Production aircraft from December 1959 with increased seating, decreased empty weight/increased payload and Ivchenko AI-20K engines.
An-10AS – several aircraft modified for small package cargo transport with no seats.
An-10TS – (Transport/Sanitarny – transport/ambulance) 45 Aircraft ordered for the VTA (Voyenno-Transportnaya Aviatsiya – transport air arm), with 38 loaned to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
An-10KP – (Komandny Punkt – command post) A single aircraft (CCCP-11854) modified as an airborne command post for use at Sperenberg Airfield, near Berlin in the DDR.

First flown on 17 September 1997, the 52 passenger An-140 is manufactured at the main production line in Kharkiv by KHDABP, in Samara by Aviakor, and assembled under license by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) in Iran as the IrAn-140. Assembly in Kazakhstan has also been discussed in tri-partite discussions between the Kazakh government, Ukraine and Russia.[5]

An identical-in-appearance airplane with the same name is also manufactured by Aviakor in Samara, Russia. Since Ukraine is no longer cooperating with Russia in aircraft production, the Aviakor version of the An-140 is manufactured entirely with Russian components. The P&W Canada engine option is not offered.

For further information on variants, click here.

Development of the aircraft was started in the 1990s, and its maiden flight took place on 17 December 2004. The aircraft completed its certification programme on 26 February 2007. The An-148 has a maximum range of 2,100–4,400 km (1,100–2,400 nmi; 1,300–2,700 mi) and is able to carry 68–85 passengers, depending on the configuration.

The Antonov An-158 is a stretched fuselage version of the aircraft, accommodating up to 100 passengers. The An-178 is a cargo variant, with a payload capacity of 15 t (15,000 kg; 33,000 lb).

The An-148 aircraft is a high-wing monoplane with two turbofan jet engines mounted in pods under the wing. This arrangement protects the engines and wing structure against foreign object damage. A built-in autodiagnosis system, auxiliary power unit, and the wing configuration allow the An-148 to be used at poorly equipped airfields. Built-in entrance stairs enable boarding and disembarking the aircraft without extra ground equipment.

The specifiactioins below are for the main An-174-100A model.

For more details including the nine variants, click here.

An-178

The Antonov An-24 (Russian/Ukrainian: Антонов Ан-24) (NATO reporting name: Coke) is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport/passenger aircraft designed in 1957 in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau and manufactured by the Kyiv, Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude Aviation Factories. It was the first of a future family of turboprops by Antonov. The An-30 came next with a cartographic configuration, then the An-26 with a military configuration and lastly the An-32 with modernized equipment. The An-132 was intended to be the next member of the An-24 family, but Saudi Arabia's Taqnia ceased cooperation and the only prototype was destroyed, which led to the project being cancelled. A Chinese licensed-built version, the Xi'an Y-7, is heavily based on the An-24, but is not a member of the family.

First flown in 1959, the An-24 was produced in some 1,000 units of various versions; in 2023, 93 were still in service worldwide, mostly in the Commonwealth of Independent States and Africa.

It was designed to replace the veteran piston Ilyushin Il-14 transport on short- to medium-haul trips, optimised for operating from rough strips and unprepared airports in remote locations. The high-wing layout protects engines and blades from debris, the power-to-weight ratio is higher than that of many comparable aircraft, and the machine is rugged, requiring minimal ground-support equipment.

Due to its rugged airframe and good performance, the An-24 was adapted to perform many secondary missions, such as ice reconnaissance and engine/propeller test bed, as well as further development to produce the An-26 tactical transport, An-30 photo-mapping/survey aircraft and An-32 tactical transport with more powerful engines. Various projects were envisaged such as a four-jet, short- and medium-haul airliner and various iterations of powerplant.

The main production line was at the Kyiv-Svyatoshino (later renamed "Aviant") aircraft production plant, which built 985, with 180 built at Ulan Ude, and a further 197 An-24T tactical transport/freighters at Irkutsk. Production in the USSR was shut down by 1978.

Production continued at China's Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, which made licensed, reverse-engineered, and redesigned aircraft as the Xian Y-7 and its derivatives. Manufacture of the Y-7, in civil form, has now been supplanted by the MA60 derivative with western engines and avionics, to improve performance and economy, and widen the export appeal.

The aircraft introduced in Mongolia was initially planned to be used by the air force, but was eventually handed over to a private airline company for use, and some were later used in research facilities. Since then, as the aircraft has deteriorated, it has been stored in Ulaanbaatar.

A total of 1367 units in 24 variants produced. For details, click here.

The Antonov An-38 is a stretched and upgraded version of Antonov's earlier An-28. It is a twin-engined turboprop transport aircraft, designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kyiv, Ukraine. Production is in Novosibirsk, Russia, but some crucial parts are also made in Ukraine and Belarus. It first flew in 1994, and received international flight certification in April 2000. A total of 11 were built and 2 remain in airline service as of August 2019. A recent documentary says that only one remains in service with ALROSA Airlines in 2021.

Impetus for a stretch of the Antonov An-28 design began with a 1989 sales tour in India, where it became clear that a significant market existed for an aircraft similar to the An-28, but with seating in the 25–30 seat range. The design was approved a year later, and was displayed at the 1991 Paris Air Show as a model.

The An-38 is of a similar design to the older An-28, featuring the same wings and tail; but it has a longer fuselage and includes several enhancements, such as higher fuel efficiency, increased comfort (cabin and cockpit), and decreased internal noise, coupled with better sound insulation. Other improvements include an increase in passengers to 27, thanks to an increase in maximum payload to 2,500 kg (5,500 lbs), as well as a maximum speed of 405 km/h (250 mph). Its design also enables it to operate in adverse conditions—it is equipped with weather radar, sophisticated navigational systems, and low pressure tires that allow it to operate from primitive, unpaved and icy airfields. Furthermore, the aircraft is more resistant to stalling at high angles of attack and is stable and maneuverable with ice on the wing and tail assembly.

It was designed as an STOL transport and intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-26, but variants have found success as commercial freighters.

The An-72 and the related An-74 get their nickname, Cheburashka, from the large engine intake ducts, which resemble the oversized ears of the popular Soviet animated character of the same name.

The An-74 variant adds the ability to operate in harsh weather conditions in polar regions, because it can be fitted with wheel-skis landing gear, de-icing equipment and a number of other upgrades, allowing the aircraft to support operations in Arctic or Antarctic environments.

An unusual design feature of the An-72 is the use of the Coandă effect to improve STOL performance, utilizing engine exhaust gases blown over the wing's upper surface to boost lift. The first flight was made on 31 August 1977, but it was only in the 1980s that production started. The powerplant used is the Lotarev D-36 turbofan engine. The An-72 bears a resemblance to the Boeing YC-14, a prototype design from the early 1970s (design submitted to the Air Force in February 1972[5]) which had also used overwing engines and the Coandă effect.

The rear fuselage of the aircraft has a hinged loading ramp with a rear fairing that slides backwards and up to clear the opening. Up to 7.5 tons[clarification needed] can be airdropped while there are folding side seats for 52 passengers.

In August 2006, a total of 51 An-72 and Antonov An-74 aircraft were in airline service. Major operators include Badr Airlines (three), and Shar Ink (eight). Some 17 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.

For more details, click here.

Passenger Variant (windows)

Transport Variant

Model An-74TK-300D with underslung engines

The AW.15 Atalanta was designed to meet a 1930 Imperial Airways requirement for a four-engined airliner for its African lines, in particular for the service between Kisumu in Kenya and Cape Town, South Africa. The specification called for an airliner that could carry nine passengers, three crew and a load of freight for 400 mi (640 km), cruising at 115 mph (185 km/h) at 9,000 ft (2,740 m). Imperial Airways had decided to standardise on four-engined aircraft to prevent the failure of a single engine causing forced landings. The prototype, G-ABPI, was named Atalanta and first flown on 6 June 1932,[2] by Alan Campbell-Orde from Whitley Abbey.

The Atalanta was a high-wing monoplane with four 340 hp (250 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Serval III ten-cylinder (two rows of 5 cylinders) radial engines. Its composite construction included steel, plywood and fabric; the undercarriage was fixed but was streamlined to minimize drag. The overall design of the aircraft was rather modern, and somewhat closed the performance gap between British and American airliners.

The aircraft had few design flaws and any teething problems were quickly overcome. The prototype was flown to Croydon Airport for acceptance by Imperial Airways, and on 26 September 1932, it flew a commercial service from Croydon to Brussels and Cologne.

The Atalanta could carry up to 17 passengers but Imperial Airways limited the seating to nine for the planes on the Indian route and 11 on the African route.

On 20 October 1932, the prototype was damaged in a test flight due to fuel starvation. Armstrong Whitworth was embarrassed by the accident and renamed the third production machine (G-ABTI, Arethusa) as Atalanta, hoping nobody would notice the swap.

Two derivatives of the Atalanta were proposed: the Jaguar-powered AW.25 and Panther-powered AW.26, but neither left the drawing board.

For details of the operational history of the Atalanta, click here.

A film clip of the aircraft on the ground and in the air.

It was the company's first airliner.

The Argosy was developed during the early-to-mid 1920s in response to a statement by Imperial Airways that new multi-engined airliners were being sought to replace its single-engined counterparts then in use. Armstrong Whitworth proposed a relatively large biplane airliner, powered by three Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engines; its construction largely composed of plywood and fabric supported by steel tubing. Imperial Airways opted to initially order a pair of aircraft to serve its European routes, while the Air Ministry ordered a single example as well. On 16 March 1926, the first Argosy, G-EBLF, performed its maiden flight.

Following the delivery of the second aircraft to Imperial Airways, the Argosy performed its first passenger flight on 16 July 1926, flying from London to Paris. Using the type, Imperial Airways inaugurated the world's first named air service, the luxury 'Silver Wing' service, between these two cities. The type would be operated by the airline for nine years, during which time a total of three Argosies would be lost in accidents, although only one of these resulted in fatalities. During 1935, Imperial Airways opted to retire all remaining aircraft in favour of the next generation of airliners, which were larger and equipped with four-engines instead. All operators had withdrawn the type by the end of 1936.

The origins of the A.W.154 Argosy can be heavily attributed to the release of a specification by the British airline Imperial Airways in 1922. This specification sought a new airliner to serve on its Middle East routes, amongst the requirements listed was a range of 500 miles, even when flown into a headwind of 30 mph, as well as stipulating the use of multiple air-cooled engines; the airline would subsequently declare a policy for all its airliners to be multi-engine on the grounds of safety.

Although the company had no prior experience of designing airliners, Armstrong Whitworth decided that it would respond with its own proposal. It was a relatively large biplane, possessing an angular box-shaped fuselage that was paired with a biplane tail featuring three fins and rudders. The aircraft was powered by three Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engines, each capable of producing up to 385 hp; one engine was sited at the tip of the aircraft's nose while the other two were mounted between the two wings. All fuel was accommodated within two tanks at the center of the upper wing. The structure was composed of steel tubing, with most exterior surfaces being covered by fabric, including the walls and ceiling of the passenger compartment. This cabin featured a wooden floor, which also acted as bracing, and amenities such as openable windows and a toilet. Baggage was housed with a main hold at the rear, a secondary baggage compartment was located in the nose just forward of the cockpit.

Variants
Argosy Mk I :Three-engined airliner. Powered by three 385 hp (287 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IIIA radial piston engines. Later fitted with Jaguar IVA engines. Three constructed.
Argosy Mk II :Three-engined airliner. Powered by three 420 hp (313 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVA radial piston engines. Four constructed.

For information on the operational history of the Argosy, click here.

The aircraft was in competition with the Vickers Viscount but was beset with engine problems and only two were built.

The requirement resulted from the Brabazon Committee's Type II design, calling for a small, medium-range pressurized aircraft to fly its less-travelled routes which became Air Ministry Specification C.16/46 for an aircraft able to carry 24-30 passengers over 1,000 mi (1,610 km) at a cruising speed of 300 mph (480 km/h).

The resulting design was the AW.55 Apollo, a low-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear. Due to the narrowness of the engines, there was no room in the nacelles for the main wheels which instead folded up into the wings. It had a conventional tail unit with a mid-placed cantilever horizontal tailplane. It had a pressurised fuselage with seating for 26-31 passengers. It was designed to use the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba ASM.2 which was expected to produce 1,270 shp (950 kW) plus 307 lbf (1.37 kN) static thrust for the production aircraft. When the prototype Apollo was ready to fly the engine could only produce 800 shp (600 kW). Two prototypes - one to be completely fitted out - and a static test fuselage were ordered by the Ministry of Supply and construction started in 1948. The prototype (serial VX220) first flew from the grass field at Baginton, Coventry on 10 April 1949 for a thirty-minute test flight.

The aircraft was unstable and underpowered, and after just nine hours of test flying, it was grounded to try to solve some of the problems. Test flying resumed in August 1949 but the aircraft had further engine problems. Changes were made to the design of the tail unit including fitting a dorsal fin and increasing the fin area to improve the flying qualities.[2] In October 1950, a limited category Certificate of Airworthiness was granted to allow the aircraft to carry non-fare paying passengers. One proving flight - between Baginton and Paris taking 1 hr 26 min - was carried out on 12 March 1951.

Further engine problems stopped the trial and test flights. The company started a selling campaign to European airlines, but the problems with performance and continual engine difficulties caused the decision in June 1952 to abandon development of the aircraft. The competing Brabazon IIB design the Vickers Viscount powered by the Rolls-Royce Dart became a best-selling turboprop in the 1950s and 60s.

The second prototype was expected to use the Mamba 3 to give it a maximum weight of 45,000 lb.

Although given different internal design numbers, the AW.650 civil and AW.660 military models were, for most practical purposes, the same design, while both models also shared the "Argosy" name.

The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a general-purpose transport aircraft largely used for freight operations by both military and civil operators. At the time of its introduction, the type was considered to be unique in its class. Principally designed as a freighter, the aircraft could be tasked with other mission types. The Argosy was offered in a convertible configuration for carrying both freight and passengers; the civil variant could accommodate a maximum of 80 passengers while providing comfort and speed conditions comparable to the contemporary Vickers Viscount airliners. In the cargo role, the Argosy was designed to facilitate rapid turnaround times of only 20 minutes without the use of lifting trucks or cranes, utilising pallets and rollers to eliminate packaging.

In terms of its basic configuration, the Argosy's tailplane was mounted on twin booms that ran rearwards from the inner engine nacelles, leaving the cargo doors at the rear of the fuselage clear for straight-in loading, while sideways-opening doors were fitted at both ends of the fuselage, the flight deck being set at high up position upon the aircraft's nose. This configuration allowed for an unobstructed cargo space measuring 10 by 47 feet (3.0 m × 14.3 m) with a sill height corresponding to that of a normal flatbed truck. It possessed a maximum weight of 88,000 lb (39,915 kg) and a payload of 28,000 lb (12,700 kg). When cruising at 276 mph (444 km/h), it had a range of 1,780 mi (2,865 km) and could seat a maximum of 89 passengers.

The Argosy is best known in Australia as the yellow turboprop operated by Ipec Air.

For more details of the design, development, operational history and four variants, click here.

 It could seat 40 passengers and was designed for European and Asian routes, connecting Britain with further seaplane flights to Australia and South Africa.

In the Second World War, they were used for transport duties to and from the area of Middle East command. After the war, they were withdrawn from service and – with no buyers forthcoming – scrapped.

The Ensign was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of light alloy construction and an oval, semi-monocoque fuselage with a conventional tailplane. The wings aft of the single box spar were fabric covered as was the tailplane and fin. It had retractable landing gear and a castoring tail wheel. The main landing gear was hydraulically operated and retracted into the inner engine nacelles. The cockpit had side-by-side seating for two pilots with dual controls; there was also accommodation for a radio operator. The fuselage was divided into separate cabins, either four cabins with accommodation for 40 passengers or three cabins with room for 27 by day or 20 at night with sleeping accommodation. A total of 14 aircraft were built.

Variants
A.W.27 Ensign I
     Four-engine medium-range transport aircraft. Powered by four 850 hp (630 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Tiger

     IXC radial piston engines.
A.W.27A Ensign II
     Four-engine medium-range transport aircraft. Powered by four 950 hp (710 kW) Wright GR-1820-G102A

     Cyclone radial piston engines.  

For more information on the design and development, and operational history of the Ensign, click here.

Video.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/66/Armstrong-Whitworth_A.W.27_Ensign_1937-38.webm/Armstrong-Whitworth_A.W.27_Ensign_1937-38.webm.480p.vp9.webm