ATR 72 - an indispensable aircraft for regional airlines

Passenger air travel has long been a part of our lives. This is the most reliable and fastest way to travel long distances. Of course, plane tickets are so expensive that at their cost can compete with tickets for sea cruise ships. The aircraft market is also filled with hundreds of different models. ATR 72 - one of the few models that are designed for flights over short distances. A significant plus is also the price of this aircraft. The low cost of the machine itself and the relatively low cost of operation have a positive effect on the ticket price.

Small, but indispensable

Large and capacious turbojet aircraft do a good job with considerable distances, but they can not be used on short routes. ATR 72 copes with this task perfectly. This aircraft is deprived of all those features that make short flights a problem for large aircraft.

First of all, it is a medium-range turboprop aircraft. Its length is only 27 meters! The target routes for such an aircraft are internal airways.

ATR 72 is devoid of reactive or turbojet traction. It is equipped with only two turboprop engines, which undoubtedly simplifies its operation. Maintenance of such engines is much easier, and in addition, they consume less fuel, and its cost is much lower. Many have long had the impression that screw aircraft are a terrible anachronism, a rarity and a specter of the past. Practice says the opposite.

Aircraft similar to the ATR 72, excellently manage to fly to small, medium and even long distances. Turboprop engines are simple and reliable. They are used not only in civil aviation, but also in the military. Military aircraft with turboprop traction are used by the Russian Air Force and the US Air Force. This proves once again that in the aircraft industry there are no old engines. There are only tasks for which each aircraft is designed, and the engines respond as much as possible to the tasks assigned.

A distinctive feature of ATR 72 aircraft is that the wing caissons are completely made of carbon fiber. Carbon-plastic elements are used in the design of the aircraft everywhere. It is a durable and very light material that gradually replaces aviation aluminum. Other composite materials are also used in the design. Such modern technologies make the aircraft much easier, which increases its payload.

Is it possible to replace such an aircraft? Of course not! This model is not only reliable and optimal for medium distances, but also suitable for short flights. Its irreplaceability is explained by its capacity. The airplane accommodates 74 passengers. For the aircraft of short-range airlines this is a lot, which means that the aircraft has good commercial efficiency.

Characteristics

ATR 72 is controlled by 2 pilots. Management is classical and does not require long retraining. The plane is surprisingly docile and manageable. Its basic carrying capacity is about 7500 tons, which is quite a lot for a regional airline plane. The maximum speed is about 511 km / h, and the cruising speed is 509 km / h.

The speed of this aircraft is not as high as the cruising speed of long-haul turbojet passenger aircraft. This is not surprising, because its engines will not allow to develop such a high speed, and it is not required.

Lack of

The drawback of this aircraft is only one, but it is noted by all the pilots. The anti-icing system may not be able to cope with its task in the event of difficult weather conditions in the cold season. For this reason, several catastrophes occurred.

Grandpa 72nd

Virtually everything that was created by man has its own prototype. Especially it concerns technology. Automobiles, sea and river vessels and, of course, aircraft develop modernization until the machine has exhausted the potential built by designers. ATR 42 became the progenitor of the 72nd model. This is not an experienced copy and not a mock-up. This is a full-fledged aircraft for regional air routes. The basic elements and features coincide with the descendant.

2 motors - this is optimal!

This is an even smaller twin-engine aircraft. Turboprop engines are installed in various modifications. It all depends on the customer's preferences. It is small and accommodates a total of 42 passengers. Strictly speaking, the capacity is reflected in the name of the model. However, this applies only to the basic model. The plane is built in such a way that the number of seats in the cabin can be either increased or decreased. Thus, it is universal.

The target audience

ATR 42 is bought not only by private airlines, but also by wealthy individuals. It's a small and light car that does not cost sky-high money. Regional large businessmen are quite capable not only of acquiring this aircraft, but also of maintaining it.

Concern

Every thing has a creator. An airplane is a property for which a design office and good production facilities are required to build and design. Small young companies are not able to independently establish the creation and production of aircraft, they simply do not have enough money. This is an excellent combination of several companies, renting production facilities from large giants.

Concern ATR is French-Italian. It is formed by 2 companies, the French Aérospatiale and the Italian Alenia Aeronautica. These two small companies are engaged in the development of engines and fuselage of aircraft. Airplanes themselves are manufactured at Boeing Corporation plants, which allows us to conclude that the products of the concern are of high quality.