THE MA60 Aircraft

THE MA60 AIRLINE:

The Xian MA60 is a turboprop-powered airliner made by China's Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation under the China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I). The MA60 is a stretched version of the Xian Y7-200A, which was produced based on the An-24 to operate in rugged conditions with limited ground support and has short take-off and landing (STOL) capability.
The airplane received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in June 2000. The first aircraft was delivered to Sichuan Airlines in August 2000.The MA60 has not been type certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration.The general designer of MA-60 series is Mr. Lü Hai .
As of October 2006, XAC has received over 90 MA60 orders. The factory had delivered 23 MA60s by the end of 2006, and expects to deliver an additional 165 units by the end of 2016.
First flight year — 1993

The Xian MA60 is a turboprop-powered commercial aircraft made by China's AVIC I (China Aviation Industry Corporation I). It is developed from the popular Russian regional aircraft Antonov An-24. With modern powerplant, equipment and design concept the MA60 is suitable for short and medium-haul commuter services. First MA60s were put into operations in 2004.

An updated version called MA600 made its maiden flight in September 2008. The aircraft is equipped with new avionics, passenger cabin and engines with increased thrust.


VARIANTS:

Xian MA60-100 : Reduced weight improved performance.
Xian MA60-MPA Fearless Albatross : Maritime patrol and ASW variant offered for sale at Airshow China 2002.
Xian MA40 : Reduced capacity 40 seat variant offered for sale in 2002.
Xian MA60H-500 : A military cargo version of the MA-60, with rear cargo ramp.
Xian MA600 : A much improved MA60, the prototype of which was completed on June 29, 2008.


ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS:

In January 2009, a MA60 operated by Zest crashed at Caticlan airport while trying to land on January 11, 2009. The aircraft caught fire and suffered extensive damage to its wing, landing gear, undercarriage and one engine. Several passengers were injured in that accident.
MA60 turboprop operated by Philippine carrier Zest Airways has overshot the runway while trying to land at Caticlan airport in June 2009.
On May 7, 2011 Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 8968 (with Indonesian registration PK-MZK) went into sea only 500 metres from the runway in bad weather with poor visibility on visual approach to Kaimana Airport, Kaimana, West Papua in Indonesia. It had left Sorong Airport with 21 passengers and 6 crew members on board.All passengers and crew were killed, making this the first reported fatal accident for the Xian MA60. On August 24, 2011, Indonesia’s Transportation Minister determined human error was to blame for Merpati Airline Disaster.
On January 9, 2012, a TAM flight from Riberalta Airport to Guayaramerín Airport, Bolivia operated by FAB-96 landed with the undercarriage not deployed due to a fault, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. There were no injuries amongst the five crew and sixteen passengers.


OPERATORS:

In April 2010, 30 MA60 are in service and 10 are stored:
Lao Airlines Xian MA60 at Pakse Airport in 2009.
Zest Airways MA60 at Marinduque Airport, Philippines
Lao Airlines MA60 at Louangnamtha Airport, Laos
Transporte Aéreo Militar MA60 at Cochabamba Airport, Bolivia
Model of a MA60 in Joy Air colors
Bolivia
Bolivian Air Force
TAM - Transporte Aéreo Militar – 2 in service, 2 on order
Burundi
Air Burundi – 1 in service, 1 on order
Cambodia
Royal Cambodian Air Force – 2 in service
Cameroon
Camair Co – 1 in service, 2 on order
Democratic Republic of the Congo
LAC – 6 on order
Eritrea
Massawa Airways – 1 in service
ERAF – 4 in service
Indonesia
Merpati Nusantara Airlines – 14 in service, 1 crashed on May 7, 2011
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan Airlines – 3 on order
Laos
Lao Airlines – 4 in service
Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force – 2 in service
Myanmar
Myanma Airways – 3 in service (XY-AIO, XY-AIP and XY-AIQ )
People's Republic of China
Civil Aviation Flight University of China – 1 in service, 1 on order
China United Airlines – 1 in service, 1 stored
Okay Airways – 8 in service, 2 on order
Joy Air (Xingfu Airlines) – 6 in service, 4 on order
Sichuan Airlines – 2 stored
Wuhan Airlines – 3 stored
YingAn Airlines – 1 in service, 9 on order
Peru
CDS Regional Express – 4 on order
Philippines
Zest Airways – 4 currently in service, 1 written off after an accident, 6 additional MA60 ordered on May 30, 2009)
Republic of the Congo
Air Congo Int'l – 3 in service, 1 on order
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Air Force (Helitours) – 2 in service
Tajikistan
Tajik Air – 1 in service (EY-201), 1 on order
Tonga
Tonga Government – 1 on order
Ukraine
Mars RK – 3 on order. On May 23, 2012, Xi'an Aircraft International Corporation (XAIC) and Mars RK agreed on terms for an order for three MA60 aircraft. This is the first European airline to purchase the MA60.[18]
Yemen
Felix Airways – 2 MA600F and 4 MA60 on order
Zambia
Zambian Air Force – 2 in service
Zimbabwe
Air Zimbabwe – 2 in service, 1 crashed on November 3, 2009, additional 2 on order

DATA FROM ALL THE WORLD'S AIRCRAFT 2003–2004
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Capacity: 60 passengers
Length: 24.71 m (81 ft 0¾ in)
Wingspan: 29.20 m (95 ft 9½ in)
Height: 8.86 m (29 ft 0½ in)
Wing area: 75.0 m² (807 ft²)
Empty weight: 13,700 kg (30,203 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 21,800 kg (48,060 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127J Turboprop, 2,051 kW (2,750 shp) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 514 km/h (278 knots, 319 mph)
Cruise speed: 430 km/h (232 knots, 267 mph) (econ cruise speed)
Range: 1,600 km (864 nmi, 994 mi)
Service ceiling: 7,620 m (25,000 ft)


AIRCRAFT OPERATORS:

Air Burundi, Air Zimbabwe, Felix Airways, Joy Air, Lao Airlines, Merpati Nusantara, Myanma Airways, Tajik Air, TAM - Transporte Aereo Militar, Zest Airways



CAMEROON RECIEVES MA60

The Cameroon Air Force has accepted an MA60 twin turboprop aircraft from Xi’an Aircraft Corporation at a signing ceremony in China, bringing the number of African MA60 operators to six.The signing ceremony was held on October 13 and follows Cameroon President Paul Biya’s visit to China in July 2011 when he ordered the MA60. On December 1 of that year, Xi’an Aircraft International Corporation and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) signed contracts for six MA60s, including three for Cameroon, two for Air Burundi and one for Air Congo International.The Cameroonian MA60 was funded using Chinese grant aid. In June, the Chinese Embassy stated that two MA60s for Cameroon were being considered for purchase using loans. It is not clear when the decision was made to deliver the MA60 to the Cameroon Air Force, as it was originally destined for Camair-Co, the former Cameroon Airlines Corporation. The MA60 is a stretched version of the Xian Y7-200A, which is based on the Antonov An-24. The MA60 was designed to replace earlier Y-7 variants.
The MA60 first flew in March 2000 and received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in June 2000.

The first aircraft was delivered to Sichuan Airlines in August 2000. The MA60 can carry 60 passengers at a cruising speed of 430 km/h over a range of 1 600 kilometres. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127J turboprops, each producing 2 051 kW (2 750 shp).Meanwhile, in June this year the Cameroon Air Force ordered a single Airbus Military CN235 medium transport to modernise its transport fleet.It is understood that Cameroon had earlier placed an order for the CN235 but experienced problems financing the aircraft. However, Cameroon was able to obtain financing from a bank for the aircraft, leading to the deal going ahead.
Airbus Military said that versatility and low maintenance and operating costs were key factors in the Cameroon Air Force’s selection of the CN235 and that the aircraft is well-proven in hot, dusty and humid conditions throughout Africa. CN235s have accumulated more than a million flight hours.The CN235 is able to carry up to six tonnes of payload. Its two General Electric GE CT7-9C3 turboprop engines, each delivering 1870 shp, give it a maximum cruise speed of 240 kt (450 km/h).

Cameroon’s CN235 is the 276th to be ordered from Airbus Military. A total of 43 operators around the world have ordered the aircraft in transport and surveillance versions, and it is currently in service with 28 countries.
According to Jane’s Sentinel Security Assessment, Cameroon’s air force is geared toward transport and utility operations in support of ground forces. “As with other regional air forces, few aircraft have been procured since the end of the oil boom in the early 1980s and the burden is beginning to tell on equipment that is now almost 30 years old,” Janes said, cautioning that ageing aircraft and low serviceability were hampering the combat capability of the air force.

According to the IISS’s The Military Balance 2012, the Cameroon Air Force’s transport fleet inventory comprises of one Boeing 707, three C-130H-30 Hercules, one DHC-4 Caribou, four DHC-5D Buffalos, two Dornier Do-128D-6 Turbo SkyServants, one Gulfstream III and one IAI-201 Arava. Some of these aircraft are no longer serviceable and the transport fleet has declined in recent years, especially with the 2001 grounding of the remaining three DHC-5D Buffalos.
The Air Force has over a dozen combat capable aircraft, including five MB-326K Impala I/IIs, four Alpha Jets and six CM-170 Magisters, although the availability of the Magisters is questionable. Six Impalas were purchased from South Africa in 1997 and entered service in late 1998, but one later crashed in 2003.

Utility aircraft comprise two PA-23 Aztecs while the helicopter fleet comprises of three Mi-24 Hinds, four SA-342 Gazelles, one AS332 Super Puma, one AS 365 Dauphin 2, three Bell 206 Jet Rangers, two Bell 206L-3 Long Rangers, one SA 318 Alouette II, two SA 319 Alouette IIIs and three SE 3130 Alouette IIs, according to The Military Balance. Two Bell 412s were also acquired, but one was lost in a fatal crash in November 2010.

Jagriti Srivastava