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Type	70
Type of aircraft	Passengerplane
Country	The Netherlands
Date first flight	1993
Wingspan in metres	28,076m
Lenght	30,905
number of passengers	79
Enginetype	Rolls Royce TAY 620-15
Engine power	6288kg 13850 lbs
Speed	320kts/0,77 MACH
Ceiling	11285 m/37000 ft
Range	3015 km/1875 NM

Fokker 70

Addition to the Jetline family

In December 1990, Fokker started conducting in-depth discussions with airlines all over the world. Prospects clearly indicated an immediate need for a state-of-the-art regional jet with a capacity for 70 to 80 seats. Fokker engineers gathered around the drawing board and soon came up with an aircraft to meet the requirements: the Fokker 70.

The successful Fokker 100, with its unsurpassed operating economy and modern avionics, forms the solid base on which the Fokker 70 was designed.

The Fokker 70 was developed and is being built by the same industrial consortium that manufactures the Fokker 100.

Fokker is responsible for the overall design, the manufacture of the nose and mid-fuselage sections, procurement, final assembly, marketing and sales and product support. Risk-sharing partners are Deutsche Aerospace Airbus and Bombardier-Shorts. The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay 620 turbofan engines, enabling its external noise levels to meet Stage III/Chapter 3 limits by a large margin.
The Fokker 70 is in fact the quietest jet with more than 70 seats and has equally low emission levels.

The aircraft saw its launch at the June 1993 Paris Air Show.

Shorter

The Fokker 70 offers excellent opportunities for various types of operations. For regional airlines the Fokker 70 is an ideal step up to jets to absorb growth when expanding turboprop routes. It also gives them a competitive edge to increase their catchment area over turboprops.

In a jet-dominated market it can economically replace older 80- to 100seat jets and/or enable airlines to increase frequencies and serve long thin routes. This makes it an attractive option for major carriers looking for smaller jets to protect and increase their hub feed. The aircraft offers the mile costs in the 50- to 80-seat segment.

In a regional environment seat-mile costs are comparable to 100-seat jets flown by majors and even - depending on the carrier - to 130 seaters. With an overall length of 101 ft 4.7 in, the Fokker 70 is 15 ft 2.3 in. shorter than the Fokker 100.

Wing span, overall height and cabin diameter of the two aircraft are virtually identical.

The aircraft's operating empty weight at full specification is 50,000 lb, giving the Fokker 70 the lowest structural weight per seat in its size class. Maximum structural payload is 24,000 lb. The maximum design speed of the aircraft is Mach 0.77 with a maximum cruise altitude of 35,000 ft.

Standard range with a full load of passengers is close to 1,100 nm, with 1,400 nm and over 1,800 nm available as options.

It can fly up to 825 nm and back, or make four trips of 200 nm without refuelling. For regional airlines the Fokker 70 is the logical step-up to jets when they outgrow their larger turboprops. The aircraft is also attractive for major carriers looking for smaller jets to protect and increase their hub feed.

Commonality

The Fokker 70 offers a high level of systems' commonality with the Fokker 100. It features the Fokker 100's core systems: AFCAS, EFIS, MFDS and Flight Warning System. The aircraft has full flight envelope protection and CAT II approach capability. As an option, it can be equipped with a full Fokker 100 avionics suite, including CAT III autoland and Flight Management System.

The high level of commonality between the Fokker 70 and the Fokker 100 results in savings in spares in stock. Also, pilots can fly both types of aircraft with only a little difference training.

This results in lower operating costs and increased flexibility. The introduction of the Fokker 70 heralds the next step in the development of the Fokker jetLine, a range of aircraft based en the successful Fokker 100.

A high level of systems and operational commonality is a characteristic of this family concept.

The maiden flight of the Fokker 70 took place on 2 April 1993, the start of its 480-hour flight test program. The prototype known as the R-1 flew from Fokker Aircraft Services in Woensdrecht to Schiphol with jaap Hofstra as its pilot, Jim Hultzer as copilot and Marcel van Houten as flight engineer. "It's a Fokker 100, " said Hofstra after flying the Fokker 70. "Sit a Fokker 100 pilot blindfolded in the Fokker 70 and he wouldn't know the difference!" The first series production aircraft will be ready by mid-August 1994 and will add a further 40 hours flying to the certification program.

Type certification is scheduled for October 1994, followed by first deliveries shortly after.

Orders

The 1993 Paris Air Show also brought the first orders for the new member of the jetLine. Launch customers are Indonesian airlines Sempati Air and Pelita Air Service. British Midland, Mesa Airlines - America's largest independent regional airline - and French Air Littoral have also placed an order for

Fokker 70s, bringing the total number of firm orders for the Fokker 70 per 01/02/1994 to 27 (plus 11 options).

Four of the five airlines also operate the Fokker 100 - a clear illustration of the strength of the family concept.