iscover
First flight of the Fokker 50 is scheduled for late 1985 with customer deliveries commencing early 1987. Ansett are the official launch customer who will find their Fokker 50s burning around 25% less fuel per seat mile than the Friendships they replace. (left) The Fokker 50 has been designed to support a number of smaller airfields between two majors if necessary, performing this operation without requiring specialised ground facilities or refuelling. Ansett will receive their Fokker 50s at the rate of two a month commencing February, 1987.
Update – Fokker 50
0 comment
The recent launching order by Ansett Airlines of Australia for the Fokker 50 looks like ensuring the sales success of the Fokker Friendship series of commercial airliners well into the 1990s, and the future operation of the series in the Australasian region to the end of the twentieth century.
Expectations of those interested were that Ansett would be looking in the near future at a replacement for the Friendship for its subsidiaries, and the only real question was whether they would opt for something of the size of the Fokker 50 or the British Aerospace ATP, or go for a smaller super commuter in the range of new designs now available, such as the de Havilland of Canada Dash 8, the Aerospatiale Aeritalia ATR-42 (recently ordered by Air Queensland), the Saab Fairchild SF-340 (ordered by Kendell Airlines) or the EMB Brasilia (orders for which are said to be about to be announced). However, consideration of the aircraft availability must have given the F50 an excellent chance in the field as, being an updated derivative of the F27 Friendship, Australian operators basically knew quite a bit about the aircraft itself, the design being very popular in this area with 63 delivered to operators over almost 30 years.
Since the F27 series was launched in 1952, with the assistance of the Netherlands Government (there must be a message in that for Governments), the type has developed slowly and surely to meet the requirements of operators throughout the world to a point where it established itself as the market leader in its category of twin-turboprop airliners. With sales of more than 750 being achieved and further orders still being received.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
