|
|
|
|
Type (Muster)
Medium tactical military transport (mittelschwerer taktischer Militärtransporter)
Country (Land)
Italy (Italien)
Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Alenia Aeronautica
Piazza Monte Grappa, 4
00195 Rome
Italy
Tel: 0039-06/417231
Fax: 0039-06/4114439
Internet: www.finmeccanica.it
General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2 plus loadmaster
Passengers (Passagiere): Up to 62 fully equipped troops (46 equipped paratroopers in USAF standard) or up to 36 NATO-standard litters and six medical attendants
Cargo: Pallettes, containers and loads like helicopters and vehicles. Examples include three howitzers, two 88x125x88 inch palettes, or HMMWV and AML-90 vehicles or M-101 and howitzer
Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Rolls-Royce (Allison) AE 2100D2 turboprops
Power (Leistung): 2 x 3433 kW (4640 shp)
Propeller: Six bladed Dowty R-391, all-composite
Propeller diameter (Propellerdurchmesser): 4,09 m
Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 22,70 m
Height (Höhe): 9,64 m
Span (Spannweite): 28,70 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 82 sq m
Fuselage diameter (Rumpfdurchmesser): 3,55 m
Cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 8,58 m, or 11,43 m including ramp
Cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 2,45 m on the floor
Cabin height (Kabinenhöhe): 2,25 m
Cabin floor area (Kabinenfläche): 23,2 sq m without ramp
Cabin volume (Kabinenvolumen): 58 cu m
Weights (Massen)
Operating weight empty (Leermasse): 17000 kg
Max. payload (max. Nutzlast): 10500 kg at 2,25 g or 9000 kg at 2,5 g or 8500 kg at 3 g
Fuel capacity (Kraftstoff): 9735 kg plus 1200 kg added capacity
Max. take-off weight (max. Startmasse): 31800 kg or 30500 kg for flights with 2.5 g load factors
Max. landing weight (max. Landemasse): 30500 kg or 27500 kg at sink rates of 10 ft per second
Performance (Flugleistungen)
Maximum cruise speed (max. Reisegeschwindigkeit): 315 ktas (583 km/h) at 95 % take-off weight
Max. cruise altitude (max. Reiseflughöhe): 30000 ft (9145 m)
Take-off ground run (Startrollstrecke): 580 m at max. take-off weight
Take-off distance (Startstrecke über 15 m Hindernis): 640 m
Landing ground run (Landerollstrecke): 340 m at max. landing weight
Landing distance (Landestrecke aus 15 m Höhe): 690 m
Range (Reichweite):
- 1200 NM (2220 km) with ten tonnes of freight at 2,25 g load factors
- 1800 NM (3330 km) with 62 troops
- 2300 NM (4260 km) with 6000 kg payload
- 2360 NM (4370 km) with 46 troops (USAF standard)
- 3200 NM (5925 km) for ferry missions
Mission radius (Missionsradius):
- 500 NM (925 km) for aerial spraying or firefighting (2200 kg spraying mission system and 6800 kg fluids)
- 810 NM (1500 km) with a 6000 kg payload outbound and 2000 kg back after landing at a short field without refuelling
- 1100 NM (2037 km) mission radius with 46 paratroops (110 kg each)
- 1215 NM (2250 km) with a 5000 kg airdrop load
- 1430 NM (2648 km) mission radius for medevac flight with 36 casulties and 6 attendants (5000 kg mission load)
Endurance: 9.5 hours on station at 200 NM from base
g-limit (max. Lastvielfaches): + 3 g
Costs (Kosten)
The US deal for 78 aircraft and training and logistics support was valued at 2,04 billion US-Dollars in June 2007.
In Romania in 2006 it was said that seven aircraft would sell for around 220 million Euro.
The Lithuanian deal for three in 2006 mentioned a contract value of 75 million Euro.
The contract with Greece in January 2003 for 12 C-27Js was worth 297 million Euro, including spares, ground support equipment and training.
The contract with Italy in June 2002 was for five aircraft at 206 million Euro (including five years of spares and logistics).
A fly-away price of 27,5 million US-Dollars was mentioned in mid-1999, a lot more than the 20 - 21 million US-Dollars at first envisaged in 1996. As the competing C-295 is around 30 per cent cheaper, a price-cutting exercise was planned.
In 2000, development costs were said to be in the region of 40 million US-Dollars, to be funded by Alenia.
Customers (Kunden)
Current customers for the C-27J are:
- Italy: 5 plus 7
. On November 11, 1999, the Italian Air Force announced its decision to replace its G222 fleet with the C-27J. The requirement called for 12 aircraft. A final contract for the first five was signed on 27 June 2002, at a cost of 2006 million Euro (including spares and logistics for five years). Deliveries, once said to be possible in 2001 were then said to start in 2005. They actually got under way in the autumn of 2006.
- Bulgaria: 5 plus 3 options
. The selection of the C-27J was announced on 6 April 2005.
- Greece: 12 plus 3 options.
The value (excluding the options) was given as 272,72 million US-Dollars in January 2003. The C-27J was selected as the winning choice in the MRTA-competition (Medium Range Tactical Aircraft) in February 2002. Contract negotiations dragged on for a year, with final signature on 29 January 2003. The aircraft are in service with the 354 Tactical Airlift Squadron at Elefsis near Athens.
- Lithuania: 3.
The first aircraft was handed over on 27 December 2006 with the other two following in 2008 and 2009.
- Romania: 7.
Selected in December 2006. Contract signature was still outstanding in the spring of 2007 as there is a protest from EADS CASA.
- US Army: 78
. A contract was awarded to prime contractor L-3 Communications Integrated Systems on 13 June 2007.
A market potential of „over 500 medium transport aircraft over the next 20 years“ was mentioned at the time of the rollout. In mid-2001, there were more cautious statements of 350 aircraft.
Over the years, sales efforts were undertaken in the following countries:
- Australia
for the replacement of the Caribou, which was on ice for some time. Partners were ASTA, a Boeing Australia company, and Hawker de Havilland would have received work packages. In 2006 it was said that the Caribou replacement will be decided during the year, with the C-27J seen as front-runner
- Brazil
with its CLX airlifter requirement for 12 aircraft. Proposals were submitted in January 2002. The EADS CASA C-295 was chosen in the autumn of 2002, but final contract signature took some time and came only on 29 April 2005.
- Canada:
In the spring of 2005 it was said that the C-27J is being proposed for the search-and-rescue aircraft fleet renewal. The Spartan is seen as the front-runner, but as of 2006 a decision was not made and could be delayed until later in the decade.
- Czech Republic:
Marketing efforts were said to be under way in 2007
- Ireland
had made a formal evaluation by 2004
- Israel
has formally evaluated the aircraft
- Malaysia
- Norway
was visited in February 2002.
- Poland
, where the EADS CASA C-295 was chosen in 2001.
- Portugal
was said to evaluate the aircraft in early 2005, but chose the C-295.
- Saudi Arabia
did evaluate the aircraft in 2001. A series of demonstrations was conducted in September with the first production aircraft
- Slovakia:
Marketing efforts were said to be under way in 2007
- Slovenia:
Marketing efforts were said to be under way in 2007
- Switzerland
, which selected the EADS CASA C-295 in December 2000 due to lower costs but in July 2001 decided not to procure a new transport for the time being
- Taiwan
was mentioned as a possible customer in 2004 and had done a formal evaluation
Competitors (Konkurrenz)
EADS CASA C-295
Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The C-27J is marketed as a rugged tactical airlifter complement to the new C-130J Hercules, with emphasis on common systems like cockpit displays/avionics and engines. It is based on the G222, incorporating changes like:
- Rolls-Royce (Allison) AE 2100D2 engines with six-blade props replacing the General Electric T64-P4Ds
- Glass cockpit from Honeywell and new avonics systems
- New landing gear
- New APU
Development was shared by Alenia and Lockheed Martin, which formed a joint-venture company called LMATTS (Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems). Lockheed Martin was responsible for propulsion and avionics, and was to lead product support and provide the resources for worldwide marketing. Alenia was guiding the certification process, and performs much of the manufacturing and flight test.
Besides the transport version, Lockheed Martin in 1998 was studying possibilities to install the Ericsson Erieye radar for AEW missions. Other versions for SAR and Maritime Patrol or Electronic Warfare are also proposed.
For the US Joint Cargo Aircraft programme, Alenia has formed a team comprising:
- Alenia North America
- Boeing IDS
- L-3 Communications Integrated Systems: Acts as prime contractor
- Global Military Aircraft Systems (GMAS, owned 51% by Alenia Aeronautica and 49% by L-3)
History (Geschichte)
During discussions on possible offsets for an Italian C-130J buy, Lockheed Martin and Alenia in 1995 conceived this updated variant of the G222 transport. Formal launch of a feasibility phase for the project was in February 1996, with contract signature taking place at Asian Aerospace. The joint Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems (LMATTS) company was officially formed in November 1996, kicking off the selection of subcontractors.
A definition phase was conducted from September 1996 to May 1997, when the „baseline configuration“ was frozen. Full development launch was in June 1997. By September 1998, preliminary design reviews were completed on all systems. Also an C-27J engineering cockpit simulator had successfully „flown“ in Turin.
Two G222 were then modified, and Alenia was constructing a new airframe:
- Roll-out of the first C-27J Spartan (NC4043, I-CERX) took place on June 14, 1999 at Caselle (Turin), and the first flight followed on 24. September 1999. Alenia chief pest pilot for transport aircraft Gianluca Evangelisti and Agostino Frediani took off at 15.21 local time for the one hour, 32 minutes mission. The aircraft performed handling qualities and 3-axis stability checks, then retracted the landing gear and climbed to 15000 ft. A go-around was also simulated. Aircraft one is a modified company testbed and was mainly used for propulsion system tests and flight control evaluations. It had completed 65 flights and about 105 flight hours by July 2000.
- Number two (NC4115, I-FBAX) was newly built to full production standards. It made its maiden flight on 12 May 2000, after first engine runs on 29 March. Pilots were Gianluca Evangelisti and Agostino Frediani. During the one hour flight, 20000 ft were reached. The aircraft was used for avionics certification work. It had completed 24 flights and 45 flight hours by 14 July 2000.
- Aircraft number three (NC4033, MM62127) comes from the Italian air force and is used to certify the industrial baseline standard. It took to the air on 8 September 2000 from Turin-Caselle airport. Pilot in command was Commandante Agostino Frediani, whilst copilot was Commandante Gianluca Evangelisti. The flight lasted 1.30 hours. The first tests were made with the new avionic Block 2.0 software standard, which included all the functionalities for civil certification.
Certification by the Italian RAI to civil JAR 25 standards was targeted by the end of the year 2000, but was not achieved until 20 June 2001. This certification resulted from intensive trials including more than 400 flying hours.
Military qualification followed on 20 December 2001 by the Direzione Generale Armamenti Aeronautici (DGAA). The certification process focused on tactical performance and included tests for short field operation, paradrop, unprepared runway operation and tactical landing. A total of 445 flights and 793 flight test hours were conducted.
To boost export prospects, the Italian Air Force succombed to industry pressure and agreed to act as a launch customer. An „order“ for a dozen aircraft was announced on 11 November 1999, but detailed negotiations dragged on for years. A contract for the first five aircraft (worth 206 million Euros with spares) was finally signed on 27 June 2002, funded by the industry ministry. The following seven will have to be paid by the defence ministry. Deliveries to the 46 th Aerobrigata at Pisa were said to begin early in 2005. Tooling will allow for a production rate of 18 aircraft per year, it was said.
The first production standard C-27J concluded a two week deployment to Kiruna Airport in the north of Sweden in February 2002, where it was tested in extreme cold weather environments. Afterwards, it performed a demo tour in Finland, Sweden and Norway.
The C-27J embarked on a demo tour in the Middle East and Asia in February/March 2002, visiting Asian Aerospace in Singapore and performing demo flights in Malaysia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. During that time, the 500 th flight was recorded.
In March 2002, the government of Greece selected the C-27J as the new Medium Range Transport Aircraft for its air force. The procurement called for 12 aircraft with an option for three additional. The deal was expected to be worth 400 million Euro. A contract was finally signed nearly a year later, on 17 January 2003, now worth 297 million Euro.
At the end of 2002, Lockheed Martin was negotiating with Alenia regarding a reduced involvement in the programme, with Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems (LMATTS) continuing to exist, but with the US company acting more like a subcontractor.
The C-27J Spartan tactical airlifter visited six locations across the United States in mid-September 2003. The tour was staged to provide the U.S. Army with an opportunity to take a close look at the C-27J. The Army had expressed interest in the C-27J to meet its requirement for a new fixed wing lift aircraft. A five-location tour across Canada followed in October 2003.
The first C-27J Spartan for the Hellenic Air Force made its maiden flight at Caselle on 15 December 2004. The test mission lasted 83 minutes.
In February 2005, Alenia abruptly switched its marketing alliance for the Future Cargo Aircraft (FCA) programme of the US Army to L-3 Communications. On 15 February a joint venture for production and support of the C-27J was announced, named Global Military Aircraft Systems (GMAS).
On 6 April 2005, Alenia announced that the C-27J had been chosen by the Bulgarian Defence Ministry within a selection process for the supply of eight units aimed at replacing the current fleet of Antonov An-26 airlifters. Contract negotiations were due to start shortly.
The first of the 12 C-27J tactical transport aircraft for the Italian Air Force started its flight tests in July 2005. “AMI1” was then planned to be delivered by the end of September.
GMAS announced on 27 April 2006 that Boeing had joined the venture. It was said that Boeing will support the production and final assembly of the C-27J for the Joint Cargo Aircraft programme (previously FCA).
The US Army released its request for proposals for a new Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) on 17 March 2006. L-3 Communications Integrated Systems as prime submitted the proposal for the C-27J for the JCA competition on 7 June 2006. In July the team said that Cecil Field in Florida will be the site for production and final assembly should the Spartan be chosen for JCA.
Lithuania signed a contract for the supply of three C-27Js worth 75 million Euros on 26 June 2006. It was said that deliveries will begin at the end of 2006.
In August 2006, the C-27J team for the JCA competition announced that it had met the entry criteria for the selection process. “We look forward to Phase II, proposal evaluation, and Phase III, early user survey, as we are confident that our total system solution meets all the requirements of the programme”, it was said.
The first C-27J for the Aeronautica Militare Italiano was handed over on 24 October 2006. It arrived at the Pisa-San Guisto base of 46 Birgata Aerea for a formal ceremony on 11 January 2007.
In November 2006, a C-27J was flown to the US for the early user survey in the JCA competition, which comprised 26 flight hours.
On 1 December 2006, Romania´s Ministry of Defence invited Alenia Aeronautica to exclusive final negotiations concerning the supply of seven C-27Js for around 220 million Euro. The aircraft will be equipped with a complete self-protection system.
The first C-27J for Lithuania was formally handed over on 27 December 2006 at Siauliai Military Airport.
L-3 Communications as prime contractor delivered the final proposal for the JCA on 31 January 2007.
The C-27J won the Joint Cargo aircraft competition and was awarded a firm-fixed price contract on 13 June 2007. The deal was estimated at 2,04 billion US-Dollars for the procurement of up to 78 aircraft. The contract consisted of three 12-month ordering periods for Low-Rate Initial Production and tow 12-month options for Full-Rate Production until 2012.
In June 2007, it was said that the US Armed Forces plan to purchase 145 aircraft (75 for the Army and 70 for the Air Force), rising to a total of 207 units over the next ten years, worth an estimated USD 6 billion.
|
|
|
|
