Short range ATR 72-500 aircraft

This machine has been manufactured by the Franco-Italian company since 1989 and has proven itself on local lines. The aircraft is quite reliable, economical and easy to maintain. Its largest operator in Russia is Uteyr airline, which has a fleet of 15 cars.

Brief pedigree and offspring

The ATR 72-500 passenger aircraft is a development of the ATR-42 family of predecessors. The fuselage is lengthened, new engines and a modified wing are used. The tangible part of the structure is made of composite materials. For the first time, it was on this aircraft that the wing box was completely made of carbon fiber. The name of the car consists of the company name Aerei Transport Regionale (ATR) and the number of passenger seats (72) in the base model. The aircraft exists in 3 versions, with indices 200, 210 and 500, differing mainly on-board equipment and power plants. In Russia, 500s are operated. In the near future, a new model with the index 600 will enter the market. ATR 72-500 in the photo below.

Description and main characteristics

A similar class of machines is characterized by relatively low speed and efficiency. At short distances, speed is not critical, unlike fuel consumption. The ATR 72-500 aircraft consumes about 500 kg per hour. fuel. For comparison, for the A-320 airbus, this figure is 5 times higher, with a difference in passenger capacity only 1.6 times. The machine is equipped with two Canadian-made PW-127F turboprop engines, each with a capacity of 2750 hp. and six-bladed composite screws with a diameter of almost 4 meters. A curious detail is the absence on the plane of an auxiliary power unit used to power systems at the airport. Its functions are performed by the right engine. Therefore, for uniform wear, the engines on an ATR 72-500 aircraft are interchanged periodically. Avionics for aircraft is supplied from the USA by Benedix King. The instrument panel, although it has liquid crystal displays, still belongs to the previous generation, but the concept of a “glass cabin” will be fully implemented in the new model with an index of 600. Or in simple language - numerous gauges and indicators will be replaced by multifunction displays with advanced functions.

It’s difficult to call a spacious salon, especially in height. It is very difficult for tall people to move inside the aircraft. A small amount of luggage racks in the cabin provides increased control over check-in. But this is the trouble of almost all regional machines. Passengers boarding through the back door and a business class lounge (where it is available at all) is also located in the tail section. In addition to the description of the ATR 72-500, its main characteristics are listed below:

Convenient places

Since the flight on an ATR 72-500 aircraft lasts no more than 3 hours, and in the vast majority of cases - 1.5-2 hours, passenger comfort is somewhat worse. There is no full buffet in the salon, only drinks are offered, the size of the seats and the step between them can cause minor problems to large people. But all this is offset by the price of the ticket and the opportunity to fly from city to city without transfers. In principle, with the exception of the first row, where there is a small additional legroom, all passenger seats in the economy class are standard. You should pay attention only to the very last 17th row, whose seats do not recline. In addition, there is a toilet nearby, which can be fraught with bursts in a fairly narrow passage. The noise in the cabin is at a very acceptable level, shaking - no more than on other machines.

Security

The existing prejudices against screw machines have no good reason. Previously, exactly the same prejudice existed for new jet aircraft. Turboprop engines are completely reliable, the aircraft is certified, that is, it has passed the whole complex of tests, including extreme situations. He is able to take off with one inactive engine. However, there were still catastrophes with the ATR 72-500 aircraft. Of the approximately 1,000 ATR72 machines manufactured in all modifications over two decades, 29 have crashed to date. This is far from the highest figure in civil aviation. The vast majority of catastrophes occurred due to the so-called “human factor”. For example, in Tyumen and Alaska the plane was not treated with anti-icing fluid, in Asian countries the car often rolled out of the airfield due to the inexperience of the pilots, gross errors were made during landing. But in general, the ATR 72-500 aircraft is not inferior in reliability to other models and perfectly performs its functions of delivering passengers over short distances.