26 Apr 2002
The first large freight door version of the ATP regional turboprop airliner is nearing completion at West Air Sweden's Lidkping facility under the jointly funded programme between BAE Systems and the cargo airline. This aircraft is programmed for its first test flight in mid May, 2002.
The aperture has been cut in the aircraft's fuselage and the door temporarily installed, purely as a plug in the fuselage without any runners, guides, spigots or pickups.
The issue of drawings from BAE Systems for all manufactured parts for the door has been completed on schedule and over 850 individual line items for the door construction have been identified.
After West Air Sweden has completed the fitting and functioning of the door, the aircraft will be stressed to simulate carrying freight and sensors will pick up the stress levels on the freight door and surrounding fuselage area. This will be measured to ensure that the stress is channeled into the proper structural areas of the aircraft. These tests complement the original structural tests carried out on the aircraft for its Type Certificate and it is not planned that any freight loads carried will be in excess of any loads for which the aircraft was originally structurally designed.
At the end of this structural test phase, and following a detailed structural inspection of the fuselage, the aircraft will be cleared to start its short flight test programme, prior to being declared ready for operational service with the airline in June.
In parallel, work is now underway at BAE Systems to identify potential customer requirements for payload handling systems. Initial contacts have been made with various payload system manufacturers and this work will now be stepped up in more detail to ensure that suitable systems are offered with other newly-converted aircraft.
West Air Sweden currently has five ATPs in service as bulk freighters, having converted them to E-Class cargo compartments. These aircraft primarily are in service within Sweden operating on the intensive overnight mail and parcels network that the airline operates for the Swedish Postal Service from a central hub at Stockholm's Arlanda airport. The ATPs operate alongside a fleet of BAe 748s and utilise West Air Sweden-developed trolleys that permit loading and unloading to be completed in less than 15 minutes.
