On this day in 1983, the Spanish prototype of the CASA/IPTN CN-235 made its first flight. Named Elena, it preceded the Indonesian-built prototype, Tetuko, which first flew on December 30, 1983.
The twin-turboprop aircraft was a joint program between Spain's Construcciones Aeronáuticas (CASA) and Indonesia's IPTN. The partners formed Airtech on October 17, 1979, to develop and produce the aircraft.
A 1992 program paper by B.J. Habibie and E. de Guzman records certification by the Spanish–Indonesian Joint Certification Board in June 1986, followed by U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification on December 3 that year.
A Commuter Aircraft with a Cargo Ramp
The CN-235 was developed for both civil and military transport work. Its designers considered demand for commuter aircraft alongside Indonesia's military transport requirements.
The cabin combined four-abreast passenger seating with a rear loading ramp and the ability to convert between passenger and cargo layouts. The program paper described operational aircraft accommodating up to about 44 passengers. That flexibility allowed one basic design to serve airline routes, personnel transport and cargo missions.
Regional Airline Service
Binter Canarias (NT) began operations with the CN-235 on March 26, 1989, linking the Canary Islands. The airline, then owned by Iberia, says its early schedule comprised 36 daily flights serving Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma and Tenerife.
Binter's history dates the arrival of its first ATR 72 to January 1990. The CN-235 therefore belonged to the airline's opening chapter, before the ATR turboprops and Embraer E195-E2 jets in its later fleet.
The CN-235 family also developed a maritime patrol role. The U.S. Coast Guard's HC-144A Ocean Sentry is a CN-235 variant. Its rear ramp allows crews to reconfigure the aircraft for medical evacuation or passenger transport, while its sensors support maritime patrol and search and rescue.
Featured image: Presidential Airways CN-235-10.
Featured image: Presidential Airways CN-235-10, a file photo from 2009. Photo: Pvt. Cody A. Thompson/U.S. Army; public domain in the United States.
