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Fokker F28 Fellowship

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F28 Fellowship
A Piedmont F28-1000 on approach (1989)
General information
TypeRegional jet
National originNetherlands
ManufacturerFokker
StatusIn limited military service
Primary usersGaruda Indonesia (historical)
AirQuarius Aviation (historical)
Linjeflyg (historical)
Biman Bangladesh Airlines (historical)
Number built241
History
Manufactured1967–1987
Introduction date28 March 1969 with Braathens SAFE
First flight9 May 1967
VariantsFairchild 228
Developed intoFokker 70
Fokker 100

The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a twin-engined, short-range jet airliner designed and built by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.

Following the Fokker F27 Friendship, an early and commercially successful turboprop-powered regional airliner, Fokker decided to embark on developing a new turbojet-powered commuter aircraft that would build upon its experiences with the F27. During the design phase, a high level of attention was paid to market research and operator concerns; amongst other changes made, the prospective jetliner was increased in size, changing its maximum seating capacity from 50 to 65 passengers. During April 1962, Fokker announced the formal launch of the F28 Fellowship. The Fokker F28 directly competed with the American Douglas DC-9 and British BAC 1-11.

On 9 May 1967, the prototype F28-1000 conducted its maiden flight. On 24 February 1969, Kees van Meerten, Fokker Board member, received the Certificate of Airworthiness from Willem Jan Kruys, Director General of the Dutch National Aviation Authority. The first revenue-earning flight by Braathens was performed on 28 March 1969. Following its entry to service, Fokker developed multiple variants of the F28; one model, the F28-2000, featured an extended fuselage that could accommodate up to 79 passengers. A major revision was the F28-4000, which was powered by quieter Rolls-Royce Spey 555-15H engines, a redesigned cockpit, and a modified wing, and had a further increased seating capacity up to 85 passengers. During 1987, production of the type was terminated in favour of two newer derivatives, the Fokker 70 and the larger Fokker 100. The Fokker F28 received criticism for its particular vulnerability to icing conditions, as Air Ontario Flight 1363 and USAir Flight 405 both crashed due to these weaknesses.

Development

[edit]
Prototype one month before its 9 May 1967 first flight

By 1960, Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker was engaged in multiple programmes; these included military aircraft such as the Bréguet Br.1150 Atlantic and the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, as well as the commercially successful turboprop-powered F27 Friendship airliner.[1] Around this time, British European Airways (BEA) released a specification that called for a high-speed regional airliner powered by turbojet engines.[2] In response, Fokker took an interest in developing its own turbojet-powered short-haul airliner.[3] According to aviation publication Flying, Fokker's prospective jetliner design was heavily shaped by feedback and experiences from its existing customers of the F27, particularly those in the crucial North American market. As such, American design methodologies and preferences were incorporated, reportedly emphasising simplicity, as well as efforts to minimise both language and trade barriers.[4]

During April 1962, Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker announced the launch of the F28 Fellowship. The programme was a collaborative effort conducted between a number of European companies, namely Fokker itself, West German aerospace companies Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) and VFW-Fokker, and Short Brothers of Northern Ireland. Substantial government funding was also invested in the project; reportedly, the Dutch government provided 50% of Fokker's stake, while the West German government contributed 60% of the overall 35% German stake.[citation needed] Fokker had also approached several other aviation companies with offers of involvement, including France's Sud Aviation and Britain's Hawker Siddeley.[1]

Initial design work centered on an aircraft capable of transport a maximum of 50 passengers across distances up to 1,650 km (1,025 mi), the design was later modified so that it could accommodate up to 65 seats in a five-abreast configuration, noticeably increasing its maximum takeoff weight, on the basis of market research.[5] The enlarged aircraft was roughly comparable in capacity to that of the British Vickers Viscount, a successful turboprop airliner.[6] The design was capable of speeds well in excess of turboprop-powered competitors, but retained a relatively low cruise speed in comparison to contemporary jet-powered designs, facilitating its use of a relatively straight low-mounted wing and achieving favourable low-speed characteristics as to enable the type's use from 85% of existing airports used by the F27 and the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. According to Flying, the tentative airliner could achieve double the productivity of the preceding F27, while the company itself referred to the jetliner as a complement to its turboprop-powered sibling.[6]

At one stage of development, Fokker had reportedly intended for the F28 to be powered by a pair of Bristol Siddeley BS.75 turbofans.[7] However, when Fokker wanted to open contract negotiations, Bristol Siddeley told them that engine was no longer available as the market was too small when they lost the BAC 1-11 project.[8] Rival British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, put forward their Rolls-Royce Spey Junior, a simplified version of the Rolls-Royce Spey. From the first prototype onwards the type would be exclusively powered by various models of the Spey engine.[9]

The responsibility for both design and production of the F28 was divided between the partner companies. Fokker designed and built the nose section, centre fuselage, and inner wing; MBB/Fokker-VFW constructed the forward fuselage, rear fuselage, and tail assembly; while Shorts designed and produced the outer wings.[2] Final assembly of the Fokker F28 was at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. At one point, American manufacturer Fairchild Aircraft had considered locally producing their own derivative of the F28, which was referred to as the Fairchild 228, but this ultimately did not reach production, with the company deciding to act as a distributor for the existing F28, instead.[2] During 1987, production of the type was terminated in favour of two newer derivative airliners, the Fokker 70 and the larger 100; by this point, a total of 241 airframes had been constructed.[10][11]

The F28-1000 prototype, registered PH-JHG, first flew on 9 May 1967, flown by Chief Test Pilot Jas Moll, Test Pilot Abe van der Schraaf, and Flight Engineer Cees Dik. Type certification from West German authorities was achieved on 24 February 1969, clearing the F28 to enter revenue service. While the first order for the type had been placed by German airline LTU, the first revenue-earning flight was conducted by Braathens, which eventually operated a fleet of five F28s, on 28 March 1969.[10]

Design

[edit]
Five-abreast seating

The Fokker F28 Fellowship was a short-haul, twin-engined jetliner, sharing broad similarities to the British Aircraft Corporation's BAC One-Eleven built in the UK and the first-generation Douglas DC-9 built in the US in terms of basic configuration, featuring a T-tail and engines mounted at the rear of the fuselage.[2] The choice of a low-mounted wing, amongst other benefits, somewhat shielded the tail-mounted engines from the threat of foreign object damage. Fuel is stored within both the outer wing and the fuselage; additional pylon-mounted tanks could be installed for extended range operations if so required.[12] The structure, which features a fail-safe design, is constructed using the same bonding techniques previously pioneered for the F27.[9]

The F28 was equipped with wings that had a slight crescent angle of sweep. It uses conventional box construction, being built in two pieces separately spliced onto the fuselage.[6] The wing was furnished with ailerons positioned near the tips, along with simplistic flaps that would be supplemented by the ailerons during landing approaches; all of the flight control surfaces were actuated via duplicated cabling and (except for the rudder) aerodynamically balanced.[1] It was also fitted with a five-section lift-dumper that would only be operated after landing, it was decided to employ a lift-dumper rather than alternatives such as thrust reversers, as the designers felt that this arrangement would result in a reduction in both weight and maintenance workload. Excluding the use of thrust reversers also meant that the chance of the engines ingesting debris was lessened when being operated upon unpaved airstrips.[citation needed] The wing also had a fixed leading edge (although one experimental model had leading edge slats and these were offered as an option) and was deiced via bleed air drawn from the engines.[9]

The F28 is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Spey turbojet engines; dependent on model, these would be were capable of generating up to 9,850 lbf (43.9 kN) of thrust.[13] While the feature was available at the time, Fokker chose not to equip the engines of early F28s with a water-methanol injection system, as they determined that the engines already possessed sufficient performance even when being flown under hot-and-high conditions.[5] Most onboard systems are designed with simplicity in terms of operability and serviceability; no hydraulic system was used, as actuation of the undercarriage and steering relied on pneumatic pumps, instead.[9] However, the F28 was outfitted with comparatively advanced electronics, as Fokker's design team viewed this factor as directly relating to overall competitiveness.[1]

One uncommon feature of the F28 was the movable split-sections installed on the tail cone; these would be hydraulically opened outwards to act as a variable air brake. A similar approach had also been used on the contemporaneous Blackburn Buccaneer strike fighter and on the later-built British Aerospace 146 regional airliner. The design is unique in that it not only slows the aircraft down rapidly, but also it can aid in rapid descents from economic cruising altitudes and also allowed the engines to be set at higher speeds, which helped eliminate lag time. This means the engines respond faster if needed for sudden speed increases or go-arounds on the approach to landing. The Fellowship had a retractable tricycle landing gear, which used large, low-pressure tyres, enabling the use of unpaved airstrips. The use of antiskid brakes on the main wheels of the undercarriage also contributed to a shorter landing run.[1]

Variants

[edit]
The Mk 2000 has a 87 in (2.2 m) longer fuselage
The Mk 3000 has the Mk 4000 wider wing and the Mk 1000 shorter fuselage
The Mk 4000 has the Mk 2000 longer fuselage with double overwing exits and a 60 in (1.5 m) wider wing

A variant of the F28, equipped with an extended fuselage, was named F28-2000; this model could seat up to 79 passengers instead of the 65 seats on the F28-1000. The prototype for this model was a converted F28-1000 prototype, and first flew on 28 April 1971. The models F28-6000 and -5000 were modified models of the F28-2000 and F28-1000, respectively; the main features of these models was the addition of slats, a greater wingspan, and the adoption of more powerful and quieter engines. Both the F28-6000 and -5000 failed to become commercial successes; only two F28-6000s and no F28-5000s were ultimately built. After being used by Fokker for a time, the F28-6000s were sold to Air Mauritanie, but not before being converted to F28-2000 standards.[10]

Perhaps the most successful model of the F28 was the F28-4000, which debuted on 20 October 1976 with one of the world's largest Fokker operators, Linjeflyg. This version was powered by quieter Spey 555-15H engines, and had an increased seating capacity (up to 85 passengers), a larger wingspan with reinforced wings, a new cockpit, and a new "wide-look" interior featuring enclosed overhead lockers and a less 'tubular' look. The F28-3000, the successor to the F28-1000, featured the same improvements as the F28-4000.[citation needed]

F.28 Mk 1000 (F28-1000)
With a maximum capacity of 70 passengers, it was approved on 24 February 1969, the 1000C had a main-deck large cargo door.[14]
F.28 Mk 2000 (F28-2000)
A Mark 1000 with a fuselage stretch of 57 in (1.4 m) in front of and 30 in (0.76 m) aft of the wing, 79 maximum passengers, it was approved on 30 August 1972.[14] Though it first flew on 28 April 1971, and successfully began revenue service with Nigeria Airways in October 1971, only 10 were built.[10]
F.28 Mk 3000 (F28-3000)
A Mark 1000 with a 60 in (1.5 m) wingspan extension, it was approved on 19 July 1978, with a 3000C variant with a large main-deck cargo door.[14] A successful variant, featuring greater structural strength and increased fuel capacity, it began revenue service with Garuda Indonesian Airways(since 1986 Garuda Indonesia).[10]
F.28 Mk 4000 (F28-4000)
Approved on 13 December 1976, it is built on the longer Mark 2000, with two overwing exits on both sides, a 60 in (1,500 mm) wingspan extension, and capacity for 85 passengers.[14] The first prototype appeared on 20 October 1976 and it began service with Linjeflyg (Sweden) at the end of the year.[10]

Undeveloped variants

[edit]
F.28 Mk 5000 (F28-5000)
This was to combine the shorter fuselage of the Mk 1000/3000 and an increased wingspan. Leading edge slats were to be added to the wings and more powerful Rolls-Royce RB183 Mk555-15H engines were to be used. Although expected to be an excellent plane to operate on short runways due to its superior power, the project was abandoned.[10]
F.28 Mk 6000 (F28-6000)
It first flew on 27 September 1973, and had the longer fuselage of the Mk 2000/4000 with an increased wingspan and leading edge slats. It was certified in the Netherlands on 30 October 1975. Two were built by 1976.[10][15]
F.28 Mk 6600 (F28-6600)
Proposed version, not built[10]
Fairchild 228
Proposed 50-seat American version to be assembled by Fairchild-Hiller with Rolls-Royce RB.203 Trent engines[16] Project cancelled.

Operators

[edit]
Argentine Naval Aviation Fokker F28, one of the last in service.
Main article: List of Fokker F28 operators

By 2019, no Fokker F28 aircraft remained in civil service.

Fly-SAX was the last airline operator of the F28 worldwide with the last aircraft in service stored in September 2019 due to lack of flight crew.[17] Garuda Indonesia had the most F28s, with 62 of the aircraft in the former fleet. All have since been retired. Major operators included:Time Air/Canadian Regional (35 - second and third hand) MacRobertson Miller Airlines, Ansett Group Australia (more than 15), Toumaï Air Tchad (1), AirQuarius Aviation (3), SkyLink Arabia (1), Satena (1), Gatari Air Service (2), LADE (1), AirQuarius Aviation (4), Merpati Nusantara Airlines (1), and Biman Bangladesh Airlines (4). Some 22 airlines operated smaller numbers of the type.[18] The F28s of Ansett Transport Industries' intrastate airline, MacRobertson Miller Airlines of Western Australia, flew the longest nonstop F28 route in the world, from Perth to Kununurra, in Western Australia – a distance of about 2,240 km (1,392 mi). This was also the world's longest twin-jet route at the time.[when?] MMA's F28's also had the highest use rates at the time, flying over 8 hours per day.[citation needed][importance?]

Current military/government operators

[edit]
 Argentina
 Colombia
 Philippines

Accidents and incidents

[edit]
Wreckage of Braathens SAFE Flight 239

The following is a list of Fokker F28 accidents and incidents:

Aircraft on display

[edit]
Indonesia
Indonesian Air Force F28-3000 A-2803 in 2004
Myanmar
Norway
United States

Specifications

[edit]
Variant -1000[13] -2000[13] -4000[29] -3000[29]
Seating[a] 65 79 85 65
Hold 459 cu.ft / 13m³ 559 cu.ft / 15.9m³ 459 cu.ft / 13 m³
Length 89 ft 11in /27.4m 97 ft 2in / 29.6m 89 ft 11in / 27.4m
Height 27 ft 9.5in / 8.47m
Wingspan 77 ft 4in / 23.6m 82 ft 3in / 25.07m
Wing 822 ft² / 76.4m², 16° sweep, 7.3:1 AR 850 ft² / 79m², 16° sweep, 8:1 AR
Max takeoff weight 65,000 lb / 29,480 kg 73,000 lb / 33,110 kg
Empty weight 35,517 lb / 16,144 kg 36,953 / 16,707 kg 38,825 lb / 17,611 kg 37,139 lb / 16,846 kg
Max payload 18,983 / 8,629 kg 17,547 / 7,976 kg 23,317 lb / 10,556 kg 19,003 lb / 8,620 kg
Max Fuel 2,869 Imp Gal / 13,040 l
2× Turbofans Rolls-Royce Spey Mk 555-15 Rolls-Royce Spey Mk 555-15H
Unit thrust 9,850 lbf / 43.9 kN
Cruise 458kn / 848 km/h Max, 359kn / 666 km/h LR 436kn / 808 km/h Max, 354kn / 656 km/h LR
Fuel Consumption 6,180 lb/h / 2,800 kg/h Max, 3,260 lb/h / 1,480 kg/h LR 4,980 lb/h / 2,260 kg/h Max, 3,252 lb/h / 1,475 kg/h LR
Range (max payload) 920nmi / 1,705 km 900nmi / 1,668 km 1,550nmi / 2,872 km
Takeoff (MTOW, ISA, SL) 5,500 ft / 1,676m
Landing (MLW, SL) 3,540 ft / 1,079m 3,495 ft /1,065m 3,173 ft / 967m
Service ceiling 35,000 ft (10,700 m)[14]
  1. ^ 5-abreast, 31in / 79cm pitch

See also

[edit]

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e May 1963, p. 94.
  2. ^ a b c d Eden 2016, p. 124.
  3. ^ May 1963, p. 25.
  4. ^ May 1963, pp. 25, 92.
  5. ^ a b May 1963, pp. 93-94.
  6. ^ a b c May 1963, p. 92.
  7. ^ Dow, Andrew (February 2015). Pegasus, the heart of the Harrier : the history and development of the world's first operational vertical take-off and landing jet engine. ISBN 978-1-4738-2760-8. OCLC 892869921.
  8. ^ Dow, Andrew (February 2015). Pegasus, the heart of the Harrier : the history and development of the world's first operational vertical take-off and landing jet engine. pp. Chapter 6. ISBN 978-1-4738-2760-8. OCLC 892869921.
  9. ^ a b c d May 1963, p. 93.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Antonio López Ortega (1999). Reactores Comerciales [Commercial Jetliners] (in Spanish). Agualarga Editores S.l. ISBN 978-84-95088-87-1.
  11. ^ Eden 2016, pp. 126-127.
  12. ^ May 1963, pp. 92-93.
  13. ^ a b c "Commercial aircraft survey". Flight International. 24 October 1974.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Type Certificate Data Sheet No. A.037 for Fokker F28" (PDF). EASA. 3 September 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  15. ^ Taylor 1976, p. 137
  16. ^ "What happened to the Fairchild 228?". AAHS Journal. Spring 1998.
  17. ^ "World Airline Census 2018". Flightglobal.com. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  18. ^ Flight International, 3–9 October 2006
  19. ^ "World Air Forces 2025". Flightglobal Insight. 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  20. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Fokker F-28 Fellowship 3000 PK-GFU Sorong-Jefman Airport (SOQ)".
  21. ^ "Taman Halim dengan Monumen Edukasi Pesawat F-28 Diresmikan". tni-au.mil.id (in Indonesian). 8 January 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Fokker F28 TNI-AU". aviahistoria.com (in Indonesian). 15 October 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  23. ^ "A-2803 – Fokker F28-3000 Fellowship – 11117 – JetPhotos". jetphotos.com. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  24. ^ "REGISTRATION DETAILS FOR PK-MGJ". Planelogger. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  25. ^ a b "Fokker News". Stichting AIRnieuws Nederland. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  26. ^ "Fokker F-28-4000, XY-AGH / 1114". ABPic. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  27. ^ "Fokker F 28 1000 Fellowship". Norwegian Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  28. ^ "11 Unusual Preserved Airliners in the USA". Airport Spotting. 2017-07-03. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  29. ^ a b "Commuter airliner guide". Flight International. 21 March 1981.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • "Andean Air Power...The Peruvian Air Force". Air International. Vol. 34, no. 5. May 1988. pp. 224–235, 240.
  • Eden, Paul E. "The World's Most Powerful Civilian Aircraft." Rosen Publishing Group, 2016. ISBN 1-4994-6588-2
  • May, Darryl. "Holland's Short-Haul Jet Transport." Flying Magazine, Vol. 72, No. 1. January 1963. pp. 25, 92-94. ISSN 0015-4806.
  • Taylor, John W. R., ed. (1976). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1976–77. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 978-0-354-00538-8.

Further reading

[edit]
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