Passenger flights have 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 they can compete in price with tickets for sea cruise liners. The aircraft market is also filled with hundreds of different models. ATP 72 is one of those few models that are designed for flights over short distances. A significant plus is the price of this aircraft. The low cost of the machine itself and the relatively low cost of operation positively affect the ticket price.
Small but indispensable
Large and roomy turbojet aircraft do well with considerable distances, but you cannot use them on short routes. ATP 72 copes with this task. This aircraft is devoid of all those features that make short flights a problem for large aircraft.
First of all, this is a medium-range turboprop aircraft. Its length is only 27 meters! The target routes of such an aircraft are domestic airways.
ATP 72 lacks jet or turbojet propulsion. It is equipped with only two turboprop engines, which undoubtedly simplifies its operation. Maintenance of such engines is much simpler, and in addition, they consume less fuel, and its cost is much lower. Many have long had the impression that screw planes are a terrible anachronism, a rarity and a ghost of the past. Practice says the opposite.
Aircraft, similar to the ATR 72, perfectly cope with flights over 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. Turboprop-powered military aircraft 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 maximally meet the assigned tasks.
A distinctive feature of the ATR 72 aircraft is that the wing boxes are made entirely of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber elements are used in the design of the aircraft everywhere. It is a durable and very lightweight material that gradually displaces aircraft aluminum. Other composite materials are also used in the construction. Such modern technologies make the aircraft much easier, which increases its payload.
Is it possible to replace such a plane? Of course not! This model is not only reliable and optimal for medium distances, but also suitable for short flights. Its indispensability is due to capacity. The aircraft accommodates 74 passengers. For a short-haul aircraft, this is a lot, which means that the aircraft has good commercial efficiency.
Specifications
ATR 72 is controlled by 2 pilots. Management is classic and does not require lengthy retraining. The plane is surprisingly obedient and manageable. Its basic carrying capacity is about 7,500 tons, which is quite a lot for a regional airline. The maximum speed is about 511 km / h, and cruising - 509 km / h.
The speed of this aircraft is not as high as the cruising speed of long-range turbojet passenger aircraft. This is not surprising, because its engines will not allow to develop such a high speed, and it is not required.
Disadvantage
This aircraft has only one drawback, but all pilots note it. The anti-icing system may not be able to cope with its task in the event of severe weather conditions in the cold season. For this reason, several disasters have occurred.
Grandfather of the 72nd
Almost everything that was created by man has his own prototype. This is especially true for technology. Cars, sea and river vessels and, of course, aircraft develop modernization until the car exhausts the potential laid down by the designers. ATR 42 became the progenitor of the 72nd model. This is not a prototype or layout. This is a full-fledged aircraft for regional air routes. Key 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 versions. It all depends on the preferences of the customer. It is small and accommodates only 42 passengers. In fact, capacity is reflected in the name of the model. However, this applies only to the basic model. The aircraft is built so that the number of seats in the cabin can be both increased and decreased. Thus, it is universal.
The target audience
ATR 42 is bought not only by private airlines, but also by rather wealthy individuals. This is a small and light car that is not worth sky-high money. Regional large entrepreneurs are quite capable of not only acquiring this aircraft, but also maintaining it.
Concern
Every thing has a creator. Aircraft is real estate, for the construction and design of which requires a design office and good production capacity. Small young companies are not able to independently establish the creation and production of aircraft, they simply do not have enough money. The associations of several companies that rent production facilities from large giants do an excellent job of this.
ATR is a French-Italian concern. It is formed by 2 companies, the French Aérospatiale and the Italian Alenia Aeronautica. These two small companies are developing engines and aircraft fuselage. The planes themselves are produced at the factories of Boeing Corporation, which allows us to conclude that the concern has high quality products.