Dornier 228
The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, designed and first manufactured by Dornier GmbH (later DASA Dornier, Fairchild-Dornier) from 1981 until 1998. Two hundred and forty-five were built in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. In 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) bought a production licence and manufactured another 125 aircraft in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. In July 2017, 63 aircraft were still in airline service.
| Dornier 228 | |
|---|---|
| A RUAG Dornier 228NG in 2012 | |
| Role | Utility aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Dornier GmbH RUAG General Atomics |
| Built by | Hindustan Aeronautics Limited |
| First flight | 28 March 1981 |
| Introduction | July 1982 |
| Status | Active service |
| Primary users | Indian Air Force Indian Coast Guard Indian Navy |
| Produced | Dornier: 1982–1997 HAL: 1985–present RUAG: 2010–2020 General Atomics: 2021-Present |
| Number built | Dornier: 245 HAL: 125. |
| Developed from | Dornier Do 28 |
In 2009, RUAG started building a Dornier 228 New Generation in Germany. The fuselage, wings and tail unit are manufactured by HAL in Kanpur, India, and transported to Oberpfaffenhofen, where RUAG Aviation carries out aircraft final assembly. The Dornier 228NG uses the same airframe with improved technologies and performances, such as a new five-blade propeller, glass cockpit and longer range. The first delivery was made in September 2010 to a Japanese operator. In 2020, RUAG sold the Dornier 228 program to General Atomics.