4/04/1993: Maiden Flight of the Prototype Fokker 70

DALLAS — Today, in 1993, the Fokker 70 (F70) PH-MKC prototype made its maiden flight. The aircraft departed Woensdrecht in the southern Netherlands.

The aircraft had been converted from the second Fokker 100 (F100) prototype, the F70s larger sibling.

Development 

Fokker commenced the development of the F70 in November 1992. Several airlines approached the plane maker, wanting a jet that would cater to the market between the turboprop Fokker 50 or ATR-42/72 and the larger Boeing 737 or McDonnell Douglas MD-80s jets. Fokker also needed a replacement for its aging Fokker 28, which first flew in 1967.

The manufacturer had already succeeded with the F100 and decided to shrink its fuselage by 4.62 meters. Fokker did this by removing two plugs, the fore and aft of the wing. The rest of the F70, its wings, flight controls, and flight deck remained the same as the Fokker 100.

Engine maker Rolls Royce (RR) supplied the Tay 620 for the F70. RR had initially developed the high by-pass engine for the F100. However, it was not powerful enough for the larger jet to utilize the Tay 650.

Operations

The F70 also had a tail clam air brake system, similar to the one on the British Aerospace (BAe) 146/Avro Regional Jet (RJ). When deployed, the air brake saw the tail cone split in half to increase drag and reduce speed. This feature enabled the F70 to adhere to the 5.5% glide slope required for landing at London City Airport (LCY).

Just 47 airframes were built as production ended when Fokker was declared bankrupt. The last example was delivered to Vietnam Airlines (VN) in April 1997.

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