Fairchild Aerospace 328JET

Type (Muster)
Regional jet (Regionalverkehrsflugzeug)

Country (Land)
Germany (Deutschland) / USA

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Fairchild Aerospace (Dornier Luftfahrt)
PO Box 1103
82230 Wessling
Germany

Phone: 49-8153/30-4950
Fax: 49-8153/30-4454

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2 plus cabin attendant
Passengers (Passagiere): 32 to 34, three-abreast, at 79 cm seat pitch

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306/9 turbofans with FADEC
Thrust (Schub): 2 x 26,9 kN (6050 lbs)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 21,28 m
Height (Höhe): 7,24 m
Span (Spannweite): 20,98 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 40 sqm

Cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 10,33 m
Cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 2,18 m
Cabin height (Kabinenhöhe): 1,89 m
Baggage hold volume (Gepäckraum): 6,5 cu m

Weights (Massen)
Operating weight empty (Einsatz-Leermasse): 9345 kg
Max. payload (Nutzlast): 3266 kg
Max. fuel (max. Kraftstoff): 3588 kg
Max. zero fuel weight (Masse ohne Kraftstoff): 12610 kg
Max. ramp weight (Rollmasse): 15350 kg
Max. take-off weight (max. Startmasse): 15200 kg or 15655 kg as an option
Max. landing weight (max. Landemasse) 14090 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Max. cruise speed (max. Reisegeschwindigkeit): 756 km/h (408 KTAS, Mach 0.7)
Normal cruise speed (normale Reisegeschwindigkeit): 715 km/h
Service ceiling (Dienstgipfelhöhe): 10670 m
Single engine service ceiling (Gipfelhöhe mit einem Triebwerk): 20500 ft (6250 m)
Time to climb to 9450 m (Steigzeit auf 9450 m): 14,2 min
Take-off distance (Startstrecke): 1280 m
Landing field length (Landestrecke, ISA, Meereshöhe): 1185 m
Range (Reichweite): 1480 km (800 NM) with max. payload, at high-speed cruise, IFR-reserves

Cost (Preis)
An "introductory price" of 10,55 million US-Dollars was quoted at Le Bourget in June 1997, later in the year revised to 10,95 million US-Dollars. For the Envoy 3 business jet model, the advertised price was 13 million US-Dollars in June 1998.
At the formal presentation in February 1998, development cost was put at 100 million DM.

Customers (Kunden)
By September 30, 1999, Fairchild Aerospace claimed orders and options for 175 aircraft, plus one Envoy 3 business jet derivative. Among the known customers of the 328JET are:

Aspen Mountain Air: eight plus four options. Aannounced in June 1997 at Le Bourget, but later cancelled
Atlantic Coast Airlines: 25 orders for operations under the United Express banner were announced on July 13, 1999, with options on another 55 of the 328/428JET family. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2000, but the whole deal is dependent on United Airlines approval.
Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings: 25 firm with options on a further 30 of the 328JET or 428JET. Announced September 9, 1999 at a price of 324 million US-Dollars for the firm order and 730 million in total. The aircraft will be used in feeder services for Delta Air Lines in the northeastern US under a new operating subsidiary of ACA Holdings.
EuroCityLine: nine firm orders and six options. Aannounced on May 20, 1998 at Berlin ILA airshow. Deliveries within 18 months.
Hainan Airlines: 19 firm worth more than 226 million US-Dollars plus 20 options. This order by the Chinese regional airline was announced August 30, 1999. Deliveries are to begin before the end of the year.
Midwest Express Holdings: five plus ten options (to be exercised after 2001). Announced in July 1998 and now listed as "US launch customer". The aircraft are operated by Skyway Airlines. Deliveries began on August 9, 1999, with the handover of two aircraft.
Minerva Airlines: letter of intent for seven. Announced August 1998.
Modern Air: ten orders were announced on May 20, 1998 as "undisclosed customer", and then confirmed in August 1998. Modern Air is a new carrier being established at Zweibrücken in the Saarland state of Germany.
MTM Aviation: one letter of intent, announced 4. February 1998. Business jet version (Envoy 3)
Ozark Airlines: ordered two on July 7, 1999, at a contract value of more than 25 million US-Dollars. Delivery was scheduled for September 1999.
Proteus Airlines: six, plus two options (launch order, announced at Le Bourget in June 1997).
Swiss customer: five of the corporate variant. Announced August 1998.
Shell Petroleum Development Company: One aircraft (third production 328JET) was delivered on 27. August 1999 for transporting oil exploration personnel within Nigeria.
Tyrolean Jet Service: two orders, announced 4. February 1998. Business jet/medical version. First aircraft handed over in September 1999

Total market potential for a 30-40 seat regional jet is put at 1200 over 10 years, of which Fairchild Aerospace hopes to capture 400 to 600 examples, including business jet customers.

Competition (Konkurrenz)
Embraer ERJ-135 (previously known as EMB-135)
Embraer ERJ-140

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The 328JET is based on the 328 turboprop regional airliner, with only limited changes , including:

beefed up landing gear and wing attachment frames in the fuselage
modifications to the wing to take the heavier engine. Also, fuel capacity was increased by 200 litres
a strengthened landing gear and brakes
APU as standard
modified avionics.

To spread financial risks, Fairchild Aerospace is cooperating with major suppliers for the 328JET including:

Aermacchi (fuselage manufacturing in cooperation with OGMA op Portugal)
Dunlop (wheels, tyres and brakes)
Messier-Dowty (landing gear)
Honeywell (EFIS/EICAS system, Primus 2000)

A dedicated business jet version of the 328JET, which will sell at 13 milliion US-Dollars including interior fit, has been named the Envoy 3. It will seat ten people in a typical configuration.

History (Geschichte)
After being sold by Dasa to Fairchild, Dorniers aircraft works at Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich were free to pursue new versions of their not so successful 328 turboprop aircraft. At the Farnborough air show in September 1996, the managment said it woold look at a stretch as well as at the feasibility to switch to jet power.
In January 1997, Fairchild selected the PW306/9, after evaluationg the General Electric CFE738, the AlliedSignal LF507 and the AE3007 from Allison.
The programme was formally launched on 5. February 1997, with an estimated development cost of DM 100 million. Four aircraft were used in the test programme:

the first 328JET (D-BJET), a modified 328 airframe, was presented to journalists at Oberpfaffenhofen on December 6, 1997 and the first flight took place on January 20, 1998. Meinhard Feuersenger and Peter Weger were at the controls of the 1 hr 55 min mission, during which an altitude of 7620 m and a speed of 407 km/h was reached. Later the aircraft was used for thest in Phoenix (hot weather).
the second aircraft (D-BWAL) flew on 20 May 1998, again with Meinhardt Feuersenger and Peter Weger at the controls. It was used for performance testing, brake testing etc.
the third aircraft (D-BEJR) flew on 10 July 1998. Main task was avionics work, both testing and certification. For this, the aircraft was at Phoenix for some weeks in 1998.
the fourth aircraft flew on 15 October 1998, after being delayed by bad weather. It was used for function and reliability testing and airline operations trials, but also undertook exterior noise measurements

The four 328JETs accumulated a total of 1560 flight hours. Of these 1100 were actual test hours, the remainder being ferry and demonstration flights. Altogether, 950 flights were made and more than 200 test were run with the aircraft on the ground.
European JAA certification, initially scheduled for March 1999, was pushed back some months. One reason was said to be that Dunlop was unable to deliver the upgraded wheels and brakes on time. JAA certification was finally achieved on 8 July 1999. The US FAA type certificate was awarded on July 15.
Customer deliveries began on August 9, 1999, when Skyway Airlines (Midwest Express) received the first two aircraft from the production line. First European operator was Tyrolean Jet Service, which got its first aircraft in September 1999.
In September 1999, Fairchild Aerospace announced that it is planning "enhancements" to the 328JET, including avionics upgrades, extended-range fuel tanks and a 450kg increase in maximum take-off weight.
At the Berlin airshow in May 1998, Fairchild Dornier announced that it will offer a stretched version, the 428JET for 44 passengers (see separate datafile).

Last updated October 4, 1999

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