GAF Nomad

Infobox Aircraft
name= Nomad


caption= Nomad N22C in RFDS colours
type= STOL aircraft
manufacturer= Government Aircraft Factories
designer=
first flight= 23 July 1971
introduced=
retired= 1993
status=
primary user= Royal Australian Air Force
more users= Australian Army United States Customs Service
produced= 1978 - 1985
number built=170
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=

The GAF Nomad is a twin-engine turboprop, high-winged, "short take off and landing" (STOL) aircraft . It was designed and built by the Australian Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) at Fishermens Bend, Melbourne. Major users of the design have included the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, the Australian Army and the Australian Customs Service.

Design and development

Development of the Nomad began in 1965 at the Government Aircraft Factories as Project N. The Australian government funded two prototypes in January 1970 for the twin engined, multi-purpose transport. The government was keen to build an aircraft in order to maintain aircraft production at GAF after the end of Mirage III production.Fact|date=February 2007 The prototype first flew on 23 July 1971. The aircraft was now known as the N2 and was aimed at the military and civilian markets. The designation N22 was to be used for military aircraft (becoming N22B in production) and N24 was to be used for the lengthened civilian version. The first prototype (VH-SUP) flew on 23 July 1971.

The original design intention was that the entire empennage would be hinged, such that it could be swung open providing rear loading access (the target payload was a small vehicle). This necessitated the raised cruciform tail.

The Nomad design was considered problematic and early Royal Australian Air Force evaluations were critical of the design. An early, stretched-body variant crashed, killing GAF's chief test pilot, and assistant head designer. The Nomad has been involved in a total of 24 total hull-loss accidents, and 76 fatalities. [ [http://aviation-safety.net/database/type/type.php?type=250 Aviation Safety Network Database] ]

Only 170 Nomads were manufactured, due to the limited foreign sales achieved by GAF. In 1986, GAF was incorporated into Aerospace Technologies of Australia. [http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/nomad.html Kiwi Aircraft Images - Nomad] ]

On 18 June 2008, Gippsland Aeronautics announced they had won bidding to take over the Nomad's type certificate and would probably be restarting production. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/national/nomad-is-to-soar-once-again-20080617-2s8u.html?page=-1 Nomad is set to soar once again] ]

Variants

;N.2 Nomad:Prototype, two built.;N.22:Initial production version for 12 passengers for the Australian Army.;N.22B:13 passenger civil version.;N.22F Floatmaster:Twin floatplane version.;N.24:Utility transport aircraft with a fuselage lengthened by 3ft 9in (1.14m).;N.24A:Improved version for 17 passengers, 40 built.;N.24B:;Nomad Missionmaster:Military transport and utility aircraft.;Nomad Searchmaster: Maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft.;Nomad N.22 Searchmaster B:Coastal patrol aircraft, seven built.;Nomad N.22 Searchmaster L:Improved version of the Searchmaster B, 11 built.;Nomad N.22 Searchmaster LI:Improved version of the Searchmaster B, fitted with the APS-104(N) 2 radar.;Nomad N.22 Searchmaster LII:Improved version of the Searchmaster B, fitted with the APS-104(V) 5 radar.

Operators

Military operators

;AUS
* Australian Army
* Royal Australian Air Force;IDN
* Indonesian Navy;PNG
* Papua New Guinea Defence Force;PHL
* Philippine Air Force;THA
* Royal Thai Air Force (N.22B)
* Royal Thai Navy (N.24A)

Notable incidents

* Tun Fuad Stephens died in the crash of a Nomad in Sabah, Malaysia. He was the first Chief Minister of Sabah. The accident is known locally as the Double Six Tragedy.

pecifications (N22B)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=kiwiaircraftimages]
crew= One or two
capacity= 12-13 passengers
length main= 12.56 m
length alt= 41 ft 2 in
span main= 16.52 m
span alt= 54 ft 2 in
height main= 5.52 m
height alt= 18 ft 1 in
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,150 kg
empty weight alt= 4,730 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 3,855 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 8,480 lb
more general=

engine (prop)= Allison 250-B17B
type of prop= turboprop engines
number of props= 2
power main= 298 kW
power alt= 400 shp
power original=

max speed main= 311 km/h
max speed alt= 168 knots, 193 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 1,074 km
range alt= 580 nm, 668 miles
ceiling main= 6,400 m
ceiling alt= 21,000 ft
climb rate main= 7.4 m/s
climb rate alt= 1,460 ft/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

Popular culture

The aircraft was featured in the television series "The Flying Doctors", [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088519/ IMDb entry for The Flying Doctors] ] a fictionalised account of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=

lists=
* List of aircraft of the RAAF

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=0138046 A photo of Nomad N24A] at Airliners.net
* [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=GAF%20N-22%2FN-24%20Nomad&distinct_entry=true Aviation photos] at Airliners.net
* [http://www.defence.gov.au/RAAF/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series3/A18.htm Nomad at the RAAF Museum]