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Saab 340
Saab 340A of Aurigny Air Services
Role Passenger aircraft
Manufacturer Saab
First flight 25 January 1983
Introduced 1983
Status Out of production
Primary users Mesaba Airlines
Regional Express
Colgan Air
Loganair
Produced 1983-1999
Number built 459

The Saab 340 is a Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio. Under the initial plan Saab built the all aluminium fuselage and vertical stabilizer, and also performed final assembly in Linköping, Sweden while Fairchild was responsible for the wings, empennage, and wing-mounted nacelles for the two turboprop engines. After Fairchild ceased this work, production of these parts was shifted to Sweden.

Contents

History

Originally designated as the SF340, the aircraft first flew on 25 January 1983. When Fairchild exited the aircraft manufacturing business in 1985 after about 40 units, Saab continued aircraft production under the designation 340A. An improved version, the 340B, introduced more powerful engines and wider horizontal stabilizers in 1989 and all the later standard 340B's also had the active noise control system. The final version, the 340B Plus, was delivered for service in 1994 and incorporated improvements that were being introduced at the same time in the Saab 2000. The production run of Saab 340s typically seated between 30 and 36 passengers, with 34 seats being the most common configuration. The last 2 Saabs built were constructed as older configuration 36-seat aircraft for Japan Air Commuter.

One of the improvements introduced in the 340B Plus was the installation of an active noise and vibration control system in the cabin, reducing noise and vibration levels by about 10 dB during cruising flight. This optional feature carried over from the 340B was standard in the 340B plus along with extended wingtips.1 Another change from earlier models was the moving of the lavatory compartment from the aft of the passenger cabin to just aft of the flight deck. This increased total available cargo volume as the original location intruded into the cargo bin area. While the active soundproofing became standard on all Saab 340Bs in 1994 the first ever 340B Plus with the extended wingtips was delivered new to Hazelton Airlines in Australia in 1995, later operating for Regional Express, and currently for the Japanese Coast Guard.

The military variants are the Saab 340AEW, 340AEW-200 & 340AEW-300, which are airborne early warning (AEW) and airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft. Production of all 340 models ended in 1999, and Saab ceased all civil aircraft production in 2005.

Flightdeck of an American Eagle Airlines Saab 340B

Variants

Hokkaido Air System Saab 340B-WT.
Saab 340A
30 to 36-seat commuter airliner, powered by two 1,630-shp (1215-kW) General-Electric C17-5A2 turboprop engines. (340A-001 to 340A-159)
Saab 340B
33 to 36-seat commuter airliner, powered by two 1,870-shp (1394-kW) General-Elecric CT7-9B turboprop engines. (340B-160 to 340B-359)
Saab Tp 100
VIP transport version of the Saab 340B and B Plus for the Swedish Air Force.
Saab 340B Plus
Improved version of the Saab 340B. Some units have a wider wingspan. (340B-360 to 340B-459)
Saab 340B plus SAR-200
Maritime search and rescue version for the Japan Coast Guard.
  • Saab 340AF (cargo)
Saab 340A QC
Quick-chanage freight transport version.
  • TP 100A
  • TP 100C
Saab 340AEW / S 100B Argus (FSR-890) Erieye
Airborne early warning version for the Swedish Air Force.
Saab 340AEW-200 / S 100D Argus (IS-340) Erieye
Saab 340AEW-300 / S 100D Argus (ASC-890) Erieye

Operators

American Eagle Saab 340B with Hamilton Standard Propellers at Los Angeles International Airport
A United Express Saab 340 prepares to accept passengers. Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, 2005.

As of May 2008, Saab Aircraft AB reports there were 416 Saab 340's in service with 61 operators in 30 countries having accumulated over 13 million flight hours on 14.5 million flights. The workhorse of the fleet (028) with 49,678 hours alone with the Australian unit (016) coming in at second. 2

Nine SAAB340s have been written off in accidents, 6 of them without fatalities.citation needed

Civil operators

The active fleet of current operators from the May 2008 Saab 340 Aircraft Reliability Report:

Saab 340B operated by Colgan Air at Logan International Airport

Regional Express Airlines has committed to lease 25 Saab 340B+ aircraft in the largest lease deal for the type, which has a redesigned extended wing to increase flight performance and fuel efficiency. They should enter service over the next three to four years and will replace some of the existing units in operation, that includes some Saab 340A aircraft that will be converted into freighters and one 340B was retired for spare parts. First Delivery was in May 2007. As of September 2008, 15 have been delivered. These B+ aircraft, all formerly in service with American Eagle, will all be delivered in 2009. 3

Former operators

Saab AEW & C surveillance aircraft, at Linköping, on Saab's Diamond Jubilee in 1997
The distinctive and well known livery of Australia's Regional Express (REX)
 Argentina
 United States

Source: 4

Military operators

 Sweden
 Thailand
 Argentina
 Ecuador

Specifications (340B and 340B+)

Saab 340B in Colgan Air livery originally delivered to American Eagle
Saab 340B in previous US Airways Express livery

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2 pilots, 1 flight attendant
  • Capacity: 30, 33, 34 or 36 passengers
  • Length: 19.73 m (64 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan: 21.44 m (70 ft 4 in)
  • Height: 6.97 m (22 ft 11 in)
  • Wing area: 41.8 m² (450 sq ft)
  • Airfoil: NASA MS(1)-0316 / -0312 (root/tip)
  • Empty weight: 8140 kg (17,945 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 13,155 kg ()
  • Powerplant: 2× General Electric CT7-9B turboprops, 1295 kW (1,730 shp or 1850 shp with APR= 107% Trq) each
  • Cargo Max. C1: 1300 lb C2*: 800 lb (*Limited by Mesaba & American Eagle Airlines)
  • Propellers: Dowty Rotol or Hamilton Standard 14RF19 four-blade constant speed (diameter 3.35 m (11 ft))
  • Fuel capacity: 2580 kg (5,690 lb)
  • Max. Gross Weight: 13,630 kg (29,000 lb)
  • Max. Landing Weight: 12,900 kg (28,500 lb)
  • Cabin Length: 10.4 m (34 ft 1 in)
  • Cabin Width: 2.2 m (7 ft 1 in)
  • Headroom: 1.8 m (6 ft 0 in)
  • Aisle Width: 0.4 m (16.3 in)
  • Max. Cabin Pressure Differential: 7.1 psi Auto/7.5 psi Max

Performance


References

  1. ^ Halvorsen W. and Emborg U., Interior Noise Control of the Saab 340, SAE Technical Paper 891080, 1989
  2. ^ saabaircraft.com
  3. ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
  4. ^ Saab Aircraft Leasing Corp. list of operators

External links

See also

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

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