DALLAS - Today, in 1969, the prototype Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner took to the skies for the first time.
The Texas-built Metroliner is a 19-seat pressurized airliner. Powered by two Garrett turboprop engines, it has a range of 1,100 km. Conceived as an evolution of the manufacturer's nine-seater Merlin, the construction of the prototype began in 1968.
The passenger variant entered service with Broome County-based Commuter Airlines in January 1973.
Financial Struggles
However, Swearingen was struggling financially and the viability of the program was brought into doubt. A white knight, in the form of Fairchild Aviation Corporation, stepped in a purchased 90% of the company.
The prototype model would go on to be replaced by the SA226-TC Metro II. It had larger windows and improved “hot and high” performance. This came in the form of an optional provision for a Rocket-Assisted Take Off (RATO) rocket, located in the aircraft's tail.
The Metro II was followed by the SA227-AC Metro III in 1980. This variant had upgraded engines and structural improvements, giving it a higher max take-off weight (MTOW).
The featured image shows Vee H Aviation VH-VEK Fairchild SA-227DC Metro 23 c/n DC-845B - Location: Da Vinci Blvd, Brisbane Airport.
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Exploring Airline History Volume I
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David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.
Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!
December 2024
