Fokker 100

The Fokker 100 is a medium-sized, twin-turbofan jet airliner from Fokker, the largest such aircraft built by the company before its bankruptcy in 1996. The type possessed low operational costs and initially had scant competition in the 100-seat short-range regional jet class, contributing to strong sales upon introduction in the late 1980s.

Fokker 100
Austrian Arrows Fokker 100
Role Narrow-body Regional jet airliner
National origin Netherlands
Manufacturer Fokker
First flight 30 November 1986
Introduction 3 April 1988 with Swissair
Status In service
Primary users Alliance Airlines
Virgin Australia Regional Airlines
QantasLink
Iran Aseman Airlines
Produced 1986–1997
Number built 283
Developed from Fokker F28 Fellowship
Variants Fokker 70

An increasing number of similar airliners were brought to market by competitors during the 1990s, leading to a substantial decline in both sales and long-term prospects for the 100. Fokker also encountered financial difficulties and was acquired by Deutsche Aerospace AG (DASA), which had financial troubles of its own, restricting its ability to support multiple regional airliner programs. In 1997, the production of the Fokker 100 was terminated after 283 airframes had been delivered.

In July 2019, a total of 101 Fokker 100 aircraft remained in airline service with 19 airlines around the world.[1] Since the 2000s, airlines have been retiring the aircraft, but large numbers remain in operation in Australia, with smaller numbers in Iran and various other countries.[2]

Design
the Fokker 100 is based on the previous F28 with new Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans, a wider wing

The F28 Mark 0100 “Fokker 100” is based on the Fokker F28 Mark 4000 re-engined with two Rolls-Royce RB.183 Tay high by-pass ratio turbofans and a fuselage stretched by 18.83 ft (5.74 m). Its wing is wider by 9.8 ft (3.0 m), has new flaps and larger ailerons, and extended leading and trailing edges improve aerodynamics and increase the wing chord. The landing gear is strengthened and has new wheels and brakes, and the horizontal stabilizer is widened by 4.6 ft (1.4 m). Maximum weights are increased while fuel capacity, max speed and ceiling remain the same, and passenger capacity went from 85 to 109. The flight deck went digital with a flight management system, an autopilot/flight director including CAT III autoland, thrust management system, electronic flight instrument displays and full ARINC avionics.[3]

The new wing was claimed to be 30% more efficient in cruise while retaining the simplicity of a fixed leading edge. The cockpit was updated with a Rockwell Collins DU-1000 EFIS. The Fokker 100 retained the twin rear fuselage-mounted engines and T-tail configuration of the Fokker Fellowship, like the Douglas DC-9 family. It lacks the F28 eyebrow windows above the cockpit.

Development
The Fokker 100 prototype, from below

A Type Certificate was applied for on 25 March 1983.[3] The program was announced in 1983. A pair of prototypes were built. On 30 November 1986 the first prototype, PH-MKH, flew for the first time, while the second, PH-MKC, followed on 25 February 1987.

The variant was approved on 20 November 1987.[3] In February 1988 the first deliveries of the Tay 620-15 powered versions started to Swissair. Major customers included American Airlines with 75 ordered, TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais with 50 and USAir with 40, their aircraft powered by the more powerful Tay 650-15. The March 1989 American Airlines order, valued at an estimated US $3.1 billion, was not only the largest single order ever placed at Fokker but also the largest-ever order from a Netherlands company.[4][5]

During the early 1990s, Fokker and DASA explored a commercial relationship for regional aircraft.[6] DASA purchased 40% of Fokker in 1993.[7] However, by 1995, both Fokker and DASA were suffering financial difficulties, leading to DASA leaving the regional aircraft market.[8][7] In June 1996, DASA sold the majority of Dornier to Fairchild Aircraft, leading to the creation of Fairchild Dornier, emerging as the third largest regional aircraft manufacturer.[9]

Although the Fokker 100 was successful, Fokker accumulated losses for several years, contributing to its collapse in 1996. Fokker 100 production stopped in early 1997.

Potential revival

Discussions regarding the potential for either portions or the entirety of Fokker being purchased by Bombardier Inc. are known to have taken place, but talks ultimately fell through without a deal being reached. Dutch firm Stork B.V. has since acquired the maintenance business for the type and has since been providing services to existing operators, having adopted the name Fokker Aviation.[10][11] Like any number of regional airliner designs, the Fokker 70/100 was being increasingly squeezed from below by stretched versions of the Bombardier and Embraer regional jets; this intense competitive pressure had also been responsible for killing off plans for the Fairchild Dornier 528JET/728JET/928JET along with an unnamed design being considered by ATR. At one point, there was a proposal for a stretched version of the Fokker 100, known as the Fokker 130, however this was never built.[10]

In 1999 it was announced that an Amsterdam-based group, Rekkof Restart (Rekkof is Fokker spelled backwards), had entered into negotiations with the intention of reopening both the Fokker 70 and 100 lines.[12] During the 2000s, the Netherlands Aircraft Company (otherwise known as NG Aircraft) was formed for the purpose of restarting production. However, the ambition has suffered some delays, including some false starts.[13][14][12] In March 2010, NG Aircraft stated that it had securing funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to adapt an existing Fokker 100 to serve as a prototype for a planned improved new-build series;[15] that same month the company announced its interest in converting existing aircraft to a proposed new-build equivalent standard, in addition to its primary focus of constructing wholly new Fokker 100s.[16] In March 2011, it was announced that the government of Brazil had formed a partnership for the revival of the Fokker 100.[17]

In July 2014 Maarten Van Eeghen, chief executive of NG Aircraft, revealed more details about the pending revival and the new generation of aircraft that would be produced.[13] Dubbed the F120NG, it would be a new-build aircraft, seating a maximum of 125 to 130 passengers, that would be essentially a stretched model of the base Fokker 100. It would adopt a new powerplant, the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1X17G turbofan engine rated at 17,600 lb thrust, which is claimed to result in the new generation airliner burning 50 per cent less fuel per seat than the original Fokker 100.[13] It was claimed in 2014 that the earliest entry-to-service date for the F120NG would be 2019, based on a five-year development and testing programme after obtaining official clearance to proceed.[13]

Operational history
The first delivery, to Swissair, on 29 february 1988

By 1991, Fokker had produced 70 units and had orders for more than 230. The aircraft joined the American Airlines fleet in August 1991.[18] In 1993, an extended-range version of the Fokker 100, outfitted with additional fuel tanks in the centre fuselage, was introduced; it was followed by a quick-change passenger/freighter version in 1994, designated as the Fokker 100QC. In 1993, a shortened version of the airliner was introduced, designated as the Fokker 70; this aircraft was intended as a replacement for the earlier Fokker F28 and featured the removal of 4.70 m (15.42 ft) of the fuselage and reduced seating to 80. Third party aircraft companies, such as Phoenix Aero Solutions, have since offered their own conversion programs to produce freights from former airliner configuration Fokker 100s.[19] While studies were conducted on a proposed 130-seat Fokker 130, this proposal ultimately did not reach further stages of development.

In 2000, to counter upstart Legend Airlines, American refitted five Fokker 100s in a 56-seat all-business class configuration to circumvent Wright Amendment long-haul flight restrictions from Dallas Love Field.[20] The airline later added a sixth 56-seat Fokker, but after the September 11 attacks, the Love Field service was canceled and these aircraft were grounded.[21]

In 2003, a Fokker 100EJ (Executive Jet) variant was introduced, these were remanufactured aircraft produced by Fokker Services as conversions from used Fokker 100 airliners.[22] Priced at around $12 million, the Fokker 100EJ seated between 19 and 31 passengers in three different luxury configurations, all which featured galleys, while two were outfitted with shower-equipped master suites; additional features include an auxiliary fuel system to extend the aircraft's range by roughly 1,600 km. By late 2009, a total of six Fokker 100s were in VIP service, while a further two were used in a 50-seat corporate layout.[23][24]

Following the end of production in 1997, existing Fokker 100 airliners continued to be supported and used by operators. However, in late 2002, American Airlines decided to retire its entire 74-aircraft fleet early, citing high operating costs; the jets would be phased out in 2004 and replaced with smaller but more economical regional jets operated by its American Eagle regional affiliates.[25] As a consequence of the Great Recession of the late 2000s, a large number of the type were retired from airline service, some later returned to operations while a considerable portion were broken up instead.[26] In March 2009, Mexicana announced that the confirmation of an agreement with Boeing to lease 25 Boeing 717s as a replacement for its fleet of 25 Fokker 100s.[27] In September 2009, one of the last Asian operators of the type, Mandarin Airlines, phased out the last of its Fokker 100.[28] According to maintenance and servicing company Fokker Services, Fokker 100 airliners constructed during the 1990s had been anticipated to be serviceable until 2035, while the type was expected to remain competitive without modification until at least 2020.[11]

In August 2009, Australian airline Skywest Airlines announced that it would be outfitting its fleet of Fokker 100 and Fokker 70 aircraft with a new global navigation satellite system navigational suites; these had the advantage of enabling shorter approaches at night and in bad weather, saves time and fuel, and increases safety and schedule reliability, as well as increasing the number of usable airports by the type.[29]

From 2015, the French DGA Essais en Vol had used the Fokker 100 as a flying testbed; it is referred to as the ABE-NG, standing for Avion Banc-d'Essais de Nouvelle Génération.[30] It has replaced the DGA's previous testbed of choice, the Dassault Falcon 20 business jet, and has been outfitted with various systems of the Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft for testing purposes, including the Rafale's nose section, Thales RBE2 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and optronics equipment, as well as a Reco NG targeting pod under the fuselage and a complement of MBDA Mica air-to-air missiles. The first aircraft, which was formerly used by Régional, is to be followed by four more used Fokker 100s.[30][31]

In June 2015, Austrian Airlines, then one of the larger operators of the Fokker 100, announced its approval of a plan to procure used Embraer 195 regional jets to replace its inventory of Fokker 100 and Fokker 70 jets, which had an average age of 21 years across the fleet.[32] In November 2015, Alliance Airlines announced that it would acquire the entire Austrian Airlines Fokker fleet of fifteen Fokker 100 and six Fokker 70 airliners.[33]

Shortly after the crash of Bek Air Flight 2100 on 27 December 2019, the Government of Kazakhstan indefinitely suspended Fokker 100 operations in Kazakh airspace.[34]

Operators

Current operators
A Karun Airlines Fokker 100 Landing at Mehrabad Airport

Airlines

As of April 2020, 128 aircraft were still in operational use with airlines.[35] Many of them are used in Australia by Alliance Airlines, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines and QantasLink in support of the mining industry, with low utilisation rates for an airline, around 1,200 hours per year.[36]

Governments
  • French Government (1)
  • Slovak Government (2)

Former operators
A Fokker 100 of American Airlines

Accidents and incidents
  • 5 March 1993 (1993-03-05): Palair Macedonian Airlines Flight 301 crashed shortly after takeoff from Skopje Airport on its way to Zurich Airport, killing 83 of 97 passengers and crew on board.[37]
  • 31 October 1996 (1996-10-31): TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 crashed shortly after takeoff from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport in Brazil, killing 99 people, including everyone on board plus four people on the ground.[38][39]
  • 9 July 1997 (1997-07-09): TAM Airlines Flight 283, PT-WHK, en route from São José dos Campos to São Paulo-Congonhas was climbing after takeoff from São José dos Campos when a bomb exploded in the rear part of the passenger cabin. The uncontrolled decompression blew one passenger out of the aircraft. The aircraft made a successful emergency landing in São Paulo, despite the 2m X 1.5m (78" X 60") hole in the fuselage.[40]
  • 23 May 2001 (2001-05-23): The starboard main landing gear of American Airlines Flight 1107, N1419D, collapsed on landing at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The incident was attributed to a manufacturing flaw; there were no serious injuries to the 88 passengers or 4 crew, but the aircraft was badly damaged and was written off.[41][42]
  • 15 September 2001 (2001-09-15): TAM Flight 9755, flying from Recife to Campinas-Viracopos on a charter flight, had three cabin windows shattered by an uncontained engine failure and made an emergency landing at Belo Horizonte-Confins. One passenger, who was sucked partway out and held by another passenger until the aircraft landed, did not survive.[43][44]
  • 25 January 2007 (2007-01-25): Air France Flight 7775 from Pau to Paris crashed shortly after takeoff. All 54 passengers and crew escaped from the aircraft, although one person on the ground was killed.[45] An investigation by the BEA attributed the accident to ice on the wings.[46]
  • 29 June 2007: An Ivorian government Fokker 100 carrying Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, members of his delegation, and 20 journalists was taxiing on the runway at Bouaké Airport when it was targeted by rocket and Kalashnikov fire. One rocket struck and exploded in the cabin, another one missed, and a third bounced off the fuselage and did not detonate. Soro wasn't injured, but four people were killed and ten others wounded.[47] Those who died were Security Chief Drissa Ouattara, the Prime Minister's bodyguard Siaka Diomandé, and Protocole d’Etat members Sékou Doumbia and Souleymane Sérifou.[48] Arrests were subsequently reported.[49]
  • 3 January 2008 (2008-01-03): An Iran Air domestic flight from Tehran to Shiraz was heavily damaged when it veered off the runway during its takeoff run. The aircraft suffered substantial fire damage after part of its wing burst into flame; there were no injuries as a result.[50]
  • 25 December 2012 (2012-12-25): Air Bagan Flight 11 touched down short of the runway at Heho Airport, impacting trees and power lines, killing one on board and one on the ground, and injuring 11.[51]
  • 18 February 2013 (2013-02-18): In the Brussels Airport diamond heist, a Fokker 100 operated by Helvetic Airways was robbed by eight gunmen who entered the apron in vehicles disguised as police cars and stole approximately US $50 million in diamonds and money that was being loaded into the aircraft from an armoured car. The thieves escaped without any shots being fired.
  • 27 December 2019 (2019-12-27): Bek Air Flight 2100 lost altitude on takeoff from Almaty International Airport and struck a nearby concrete barrier and a building. Of 93 passengers and 5 crew, 53 were hospitalized and 12 were killed, including the captain. The cause of the accident is under investigation.[52]

Specifications
Fokker 100
Tay 620		 Fokker 100
Tay 650
Cockpit crew Two
Seating capacity 122 (1-class, maximum)
107 (1-class, typical)
97 (2-class, typical)
Seat pitch 29 in (74 cm) (1-class, maximum)
32 in (81 cm) (1-class, typical)
36 in (91 cm) & 32 in (81 cm) (2-class, typical)
Length 35.53 metres (116 ft 7 in)
Wingspan 28.08 metres (92 ft 2 in)
Wing area 93.5 square metres (1,006 sq ft)
Height 8.50 metres (27 ft 11 in)
Fuselage diameter 3.30 m (10 ft 10 in)
Cabin width 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
Cabin height 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Typical empty weight 24,375 kilograms (53,738 lb) 24,541 kilograms (54,104 lb)
Maximum take-off weight 43,090 kilograms (95,000 lb) 45,810 kilograms (100,990 lb)
Maximum payload weight 11,242 kilograms (24,784 lb) 11,993 kilograms (26,440 lb)
Max. cruising speed 845 km/h (525 mph, 456 kn), Mach 0.77
Range fully loaded 2,450 kilometres (1,323 nmi) 3,170 kilometres (1,710 nmi)
Take off run at MTOW 4,988 feet (1,520 m) 5,319 feet (1,621 m)
Fuel capacity 13,365 L (2,940 imp gal; 3,531 US gal)
Service ceiling 35,000 ft (11,000 m)
Powerplants (2x) Rolls-Royce Tay Mk 620-15 Rolls-Royce Tay Mk 650-15
Engine thrust 13,850 lbf (61.6 kN) 15,100 lbf (67.2 kN)
  • Notes: Data are provided for reference only. Tay 620=Rolls-Royce Tay Mk 620-15 and Tay 650=Rolls-Royce Tay Mk 650-15
  • Sources: airliners.net,[53] aer.ita.br[54]
gollark: > You'd continually construct the next program to execute (no loop instructions)Well, that's a neat idea.
gollark: This "Whirl" esolang has an interesting iðea.
gollark: No.
gollark: Idea then.
gollark: So HOW DO I BE EOSTIERIC?!?!?!?!?!

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists


References

Citations
  1. Thisdell and Seymour Flight International 30 July –5 August 2019, p. 46.
  2. Troianovsky, Anton; Victor, Daniel (26 December 2019). "At Least 9 Killed in Plane Crash in Kazakhstan". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  3. "Type Certificate Data Sheet No. A.037 for Fokker F28" (PDF). EASA. 3 September 2018.
  4. Swanson, Doug J.; Zimmerman, Martin (23 March 1989). "AMERICAN ORDERS DUTCH-BUILT JETS - Deal valued at about $3.1 billion". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
  5. "American order boosts Dutch firm's comeback". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. 26 March 1989.
  6. "Decisions, Decisions." Flight International, 2 June 1992. pp. 35, 38.
  7. Jeziorski, Andrzej. "DASA folds its wings." Flight International, 31 January 1996.
  8. Jeziorski, Andrzej. "DASA dealt double blow." Flight International, 23 August 1995.
  9. "Fairchild Dornier Gmbh Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Fairchild Dornier Gmbh." Reference for Business, Retrieved: 5 May 2008.
  10. "History of Fokker." undinguniverse.com. Retrieved: 17 August 2011.
  11. "Fokker Services - life after death." Flight International, 26 February 2010.
  12. Kingsley-Jones, Max. "Benelux special: NG Aircraft plans Fokker 100 revival." Flight International, 12 April 2010.
  13. Pilling, Mark. "FARNBOROUGH: Fokker 120 edges closer to go-ahead." Flight International, 15 July 2014.
  14. Sarsfield, Kate. "Back to life: nine civil types revived." Flight International, 27 March 2015.
  15. Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Fokker resurrection scheme secures loan for prototype." Flight International, 6 March 2010.
  16. Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Fokker 100 revival team claims interest in retrofit." Flight International, 10 March 2010.
  17. Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Brazilian state to partner on proposed Fokker 100NG." Flight International, 17 March 2011.
  18. Reed, Dan (2 August 1991). "With fanfare, Fokker 100 joins American's jet fleet". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas.
  19. Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Combi freighter plan emerges for Fokker 100." Flight International, 4 February 2011.
  20. Yung, Katherine (2 May 2000). "In the air again – American's long-haul luxury flights take off from Love Field". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
  21. Fairbank, Katie (3 December 2001). "Love Field potential yet to be maximized - Spurred by Legend's investment, regional airlines poised to grow". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
  22. O'Keeffe, Niall. "EBACE: Ageing regional jets tipped for important future." Flight International, 26 April 2011.
  23. Sarsfield, Kate. "Regional conversions are good for business." Flight International, 29 September 2008.
  24. Karnazov, Vladimir. "Russians introduce Fokker 100 VIP conversion." Flight International, 16 July 2007.
  25. Torbenson, Eric (21 December 2002). "American to retire jets early - Decision to ground 87-seat planes in 2004 will reduce costs". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas.
  26. Thisdell, Dan. "Fokker legacy lives on." Flight International, 12 April 2011.
  27. Sobie, Brendan "Boeing confirms lease of 25 717s to Mexicana." Flight International, 9 March 2009.
  28. Francis, Leithen. "AA09: Mandarin ends links with Fokker." Flight International, 7 September 2009.
  29. "Australia's Skywest installs navigation system on Fokker 100s." Flight International, 21 August 2009.
  30. Stephenson, Beth. "DGA's new Rafale testbed to be delivered by year-end." Flight International, 23 June 2015.
  31. "DGA Essais en Vol : L'ABE-NG touche au but - AéroBuzz : Actualité et Information Aéronautique". 30 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014.
  32. Trimble, Stephen. "Austrian Airlines approves used E195 purchase." Flight International, 3 June 2015.
  33. "Alliance acquires Austrian Airlines' Fokker fleet - Australian Aviation". Australian Aviation. November 2015.
  34. Sadikhova, Nargiz (17 April 2020). "Operations certificate of Kazakhstan's Bek Air recalled following plane crash". en.trend.az. Baku, Azerbaijan: Trend News Agency. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  35. Thisdell and Seymour Flight International 30 July –5 August 2019, p. 35.
  36. "Fokker 100's second youth in Australia". AirInsight. January 24, 2017.
  37. "ASN Aircraft accident Fokker 100 PH-KXL Skopje." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved: 13 April 2008.
  38. "Accident description PT-MRK." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved: 17 August 2011.
  39. Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "Vinte e quatro segundos". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928–1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 376–381. ISBN 978-85-7430-760-2.
  40. "Accident description PT-WHK." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved: 17 August 2011.
  41. "NTSB Brief of Accident FTW01FA127" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  42. "ASN Accident Description". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  43. "Accident description PT-MRN." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved: 17 August 2011.
  44. Lívia, Marra (16 September 2001). "Avião da TAM acidentado em Minas havia sido revisado no mês passado" (in Portuguese). folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  45. "Picture: Truck driver killed as Air France Régional Fokker 100 hits vehicle during overrun in Pau." Flight Global. Retrieved: 2 January 2009.
  46. "Icing led to Air France Fokker takeoff crash: investigators." Flight Global. Retrieved: 2 January 2009.
  47. "Rockets fired at Ivorian PM plane", BBC News, 29 June 2007.
  48. "Obsèques nationales pour les victimes" (in French). Centre d'informations et de communication gouvernementale (CICG). 10 July 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  49. "Côte d'Ivoire: arrestations après l'attentat contre le Premier ministre Soro" Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Agence France-Presse, 30 June 2007 (in French).
  50. "PICTURES: Iran Air Fokker 100 suffers fire damage during take-off accident at Tehran." Flight International, 3 January 2008.
  51. "Airliner makes emergency landing on Myanmar road" AP. Retrieved: 25 December 2012.
  52. Hodge, Nathan; Renton, Adam; Britton, Bianca (27 December 2019). "Plane with almost 100 onboard crashes in Kazakhstan, killing 12 people". CNN.com. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  53. "The Fokker 100." airliners.net. Retrieved: 17 August 2011.
  54. Fokker 100 Specifications Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine aer.ita.br. Retrieved: 29 January 2012.

Bibliography
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. 'Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory. London: Brassey's, 1996. ISBN 1-85753-198-1.
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