AVRO 748

The 'Avro 748' was a small short-range turboprop airliner designed by Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3's then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated market and 380 aircraft were built. A larger development, the BAe ATP, attempted to compete with the de Havilland Canada Dash 8 but saw a limited production run.

Contents

Development

Operators

Civil operators

Military operators

Specifications (Super 748)

References

External links

Related content

Development

The original 748 design started in 1958 after the infamous Duncan Sandys 1957 Defence White Paper ended most military manned aircraft development in the UK, and Avro decided to re-enter the civilian market. The Vickers Viscount had the large end of the short-haul market neatly wrapped up, so Avro decided to design to a smaller feederliner design to replace the many DC-3 Dakotas that were now reaching the end of their lifespan. Avro was not the only company to see the potential for a DC-3 replacement, and by this point the Fokker F27 ''Friendship'' was well advanced. Avro decided to compete by producing a design with better short-field performance, allowing it to operate from smaller airports.
The first aircraft flew from Avro's Woodford plant on June 24 1960, and two prototypes quickly proved the type's short field performance. Eighteen '748 Series 1' aircraft were produced, the first for British Skyways Coach-Air (later known as Dan-Air) but the majority for Aerolíneas Argentinas. By this point Avro's individual identity within the Hawker-Siddeley Group had ended and the design was known as the 'HS 748'.
The 'Series 2' entered production in 1961 with a higher take-off weight, and were produced to 198 examples, making it one of the most popular post-war British designs. The more powerful 'Series 2A' followed for another 71, along with another 25 'Series 2B's.
The Royal Air Force ordered a version (as the 'Hawker Siddeley Andover C1') modified with a raised tailplane to accommodate a rear loading ramp and a kneeling undercarriage.
The 748 Series 1 and Series 2 was license produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautics as the 'HAL-748'. HAL built 89 aircraft in India, 72 for the Indian Air Force and 17 for the Indian Airlines Corporation. The later production for the Indian Air Force (the last 20 built) were Series 2M aircraft with a Large Freight Door. Aircraft were later modified for a variety of roles including a trials aircraft for an Airborne Early Warning version fitted with a large radome.
Hawker Siddeley became part of British Aerospace in the mid-1970s with the 'Series 2B' becoming the main production model.
The last 748s were built as "Super 748s" with hush-kitted Rolls-Royce Dart engines, in 1987.
Two other versions were the 'Coastguarder' and 'Super 748'. The Coastguarder was a maritime patrol version.
The ICAO designator as used in flight plans is A748.

Operators

Civil operators

In August 2007 a total of 59 Avro 748 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service. Current operators are^[1]:
;

★ Macair Airlines (1)
;

★ Best Air (2)

★ Bismillah Airlines (1)

★ Z Airways (1)
;

★ Cameroon Airlines (1)
'

★ Air Creebec (3)

★ Air Inuit (4)

★ Air North (3)

★ Calm Air (6)

★ First Air (5)

★ Wasaya Airways (5)
;

★ International Trans Air Business (1)

★ Trans Service Airlift (2)
;:

★ Comores Aviation (2)
;

★ Guinee Air Cargo (1)
;

★ Atlantic Airlines de Honduras (1)
;

★ Bali Air (4)

★ Bouraq Indonesian Airlines (2)

★ Merpati (2)
;

★ 748 Air Service (1)

★ African Commuter Services (1)
;

★ Royal Nepal Airlines (1)
;:

★ Executive Aerospace (5)

★ Stars Away Aviation (2)
;

★ Aero Lanka (1)
;:

★ West Air Sweden (1)

Military operators

;

★ Argentine Air Force
;

★ Royal Australian Air Force

★ Fleet Air Arm (RAN)
;
;
;
;
;
;

★ Indian Air Force
;
;
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★ Replaced with Antonov An-32.
;
;

★ Royal Thai Air Force
;

★ Royal Air Force
;
;

Specifications (Super 748)

References

1. Flight International, 21-27 October 2007

External links

★ BAe/HS 748 AEW

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