Saab 340

Infobox Aircraft
subtemplate=Infobox Saab Airliners
name = Saab 340
type = Passenger aircraft
manufacturer = Saab



caption = Saab 340A of Aurigny Air Services
designer =
first flight = 25 January 1983
introduced = 1983
status = Out of production
primary user = Mesaba Airlines
more users = Regional Express
Colgan Air
Loganair
produced = 1983-1999
number built = 459
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =

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.

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 soundproofing 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. [Halvorsen W. and Emborg U., Interior Noise Control of the Saab 340, SAE Technical Paper 891080, 1989] 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.

Variants

; Saab 340A : 37-seat commuter airliner, powered by two 1,630-shp (1215-kW) General-Electric C17-5A2 turboprop engines. (340A-001 to 340A-159); Saab 340B : 35-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 for the Swedish Air Force.; Saab 340B Plus : Improved version of the Saab 340B. (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

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. [ [http://www.saabaircraft.com saabaircraft.com] ]

Nine SAAB340s have been written off in accidents, 6 of them without fatalities.Fact|date=December 2007

Civil operators

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

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. Flight International, 3-9 October 2006]

On May 27th 2008 American Eagle Airlines announced via their Eaglewire company newsletter they will retire their entire fleet of Saab 340 aircraft due to the capacity cuts at both American and American Eagle. The last revenue flight for the Saab 340 with American Eagle is scheduled for November 2nd, 2008 KSAN-KLAX.

Former operators

Source: [ [http://www.saabaircraftleasing.com/operators/worldmap.asp Saab Aircraft Leasing Corp. list of operators] ]

Military operators

; SWE
* Swedish Air Force; THA
* Royal Thai Air Force; ARG
* Argentine Air Force; ECU
* Ecuadorian Air Force

pecifications (340B and 340B+)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=2 pilots, 1 flight attendant
capacity= 30, 33, 34 or 36 passengers
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 19.73 m
length alt= 64 ft 9 in
span main= 21.44 m
span alt= 70 ft 4 in
height main= 6.97 m
height alt= 22 ft 11 in
area main= 41.8 m²
area alt= 450 sq ft
airfoil=NASA MS(1)-0316 / -0312 (root/tip)
empty weight main= 8140 kg
empty weight alt= 17,945 lb
loaded weight main= 13,155 kg
max takeoff weight= 13,181kg (29,000 lb)
max ramp weight = 29,300 lb
more general= 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
engine (prop)= General Electric CT7-9B
type of prop=turboprops
number of props=2
minimum propeller speed=1050 rpm (Taxi)
maximum propeller speed=1396 rpm (Takeoff)
power main= 1295 kW
power alt= 1,730 shp or 1850 shp with APR= 107% Trq
max speed main= 523 km/h
max speed alt= 282 kt
cruise speed main= 467 km/h,250 kt
stall speed main=
never exceed speed = 250 kt or Vmo pointer
range main= 1730 km
range alt= 935 nm
ceiling main= 25,000 ft (commercial) / 31,000 ft (executive configuration)
ceiling alt= 7,600 m / 9,400 m

References

External links

* [http://www.saabaircraft.com/ Saab Aircraft AB Official website]
* [http://www.saabaircraftleasing.com/ Saab Aircraft Leasing]
* [http://www.SF340.com/ SF340.com - A Pilots Tech Notes & Study Guide page]
* [http://www.planesregister.com/aircraft/list-sf3.htm/ Online Saab 340 production list by SN, operator & last known registration]
* [http://members.chello.nl/s.c.verbrugge/types.html#340 Link with a SF340 production list (.xls file), historical & current disposition of all serial numbers]

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Saab 2000
similar aircraft=
* Xian MA60
* Antonov An-24
* ATR 42
* CASA CN-235 and EADS CASA C-295
* De Havilland Canada Dash 8
* Dornier 328
sequence=
lists=
* List of civil aircraft
see also=