The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. With 786 units built (including 206 in the USA by Fairchild) it is the most successful turboprop airliner of all time.

Design of the aircraft started in the 1950s as a DC-3 replacement. A number of different configurations were considered before the final decision on a high wing twin Rolls-Royce Dart engines with a pressurised cabin for 28 passengers. The first prototype, PH-NIV first flew on 24 November 1955. The second prototype and initial production machines were 3ft longer, a correction to the first aircraft being a little tail heavy and also allowing more passengers and the more powerful Dart Mk 528 engine.

In 1956 Fokker signed a deal with Fairchild for the latter to construct the aircraft in the USA. The first US built aircraft flew on 12 April 1958. The first production model the -100 seated 44 passengers, with initial deliveries to Aer Lingus in September 1958. Dart mk532 was the next engine being used leading to the -200.

The most ubiquitous model the -500 had a 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) longer fuselage, a return to the Dart528 and accommodation for 52 passengers. It first flew in November 1967.

In 1985 two Fokker F27 Troopships were leased by the US Army parachute team, the Golden Knights. Subsequently two aircraft were purchased and designated C-31A Troopship. The aircraft were used both to transport the team to airshows and also as their jumping platform.

Other versions include:

• -300M - "Troopship" for Royal Dutch Air Force
• -400 - "combi" with Dart7 engines and cargo door
• -500F - a version of the -500 for Australia with smaller front and rear doors
• -600 - cargo version of -200
• -700 - a -100 with large cargo door
• FH227 - Fairchild-Hiller stretched version

Specifications

For F27-200:

Length: 77 ft 2 in (23.5 m)

Span: 95 ft 2 in (29.0 m)

Wing area: 753.5 ft² (70.00 m²)

Max takeoff weight: 42,000 lb (19,050 kg)

Max Cruising speed: 300 mph (483 km/h)

Range: 912 miles (1,468 km)

Service ceiling: 32,600 ft (9935 m)

Engines: 2x Rolls-Royce Dart Mk528 turboprops

Ordering Airlines

Amongst airlines who placed orders and received aircraft as new:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Congo
• Air France
• Air Inter
• Airlines of NSW
• All Nippon Airways
• East African Airways
• East-West Airlines (Australia)
• Garuda Indonesia
• Iberia Airlines
• Korean Airlines
• Luxair
• Malaysia Singapore Airlines
• Nigeria Airways
• NZNAC
• Pakistan International Airlines
• Philippine Airlines
• Sudan Airways
• THY (Turkish Airlines)
• Trans Australia Airlines
• Union of Burma Airways

Current Operators

Amongst current operators are the following:

• Aerocaribe (Mexico)
• Air Algerie
• Argentinian Air Force
• Bolivian Air Force
• CATA (Argentina)
• Channel Express (UK)
• Cubana de Aviación
• Farnair (Germany)
• Finnish Air Force
• Ghana Air Force
• Indonesian Air Force
• Iranian Air Force
• Libyan Arab Airlines
• Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (Bolivia)
• Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Indonesia)
• Myanma Airways
• NEPC Airlines (India)
• Pakistan International Airlines
• Philippines Air Force
• Senegambia Air Force
• TAAG (Angola)
• WDL (Germany)

External Links

• Fokker
• F27 Friendship Association - F27 enthusiast organisation, with Photo Gallery (in Dutch and English)
• External museum photo
• Photo of model
• Fokker, a living history