Aeritalia G.222

Aeritalia G.222
Aeritalia G.222
Type:	Transport plane
Design country:	Italy
Manufacturer:	Aeritalia
First flight:	18th July 1970
Number of pieces:	108

C-27A Spartan

Hold

The Aeritalia G.222 is an Italian transport aircraft with two turboprop engines. The first flight took place on July 18, 1970. One of the special features of this machine are its STOL properties and the robust chassis . The G.222 was also exported to other countries and is still in use today, including the advanced version Alenia C-27J .

history

The military transport aircraft was developed by Fiat Aviazione on the basis of a NATO tender from 1962 , which is why the machine is also known under the name Fiat G.222 . Fiat aircraft manufacturing became part of the Aeritalia group in 1972 . The first flight took place on July 18, 1970.

Equipped with two turbo-prop engines, the shoulder- wing aircraft has STOL properties. The nose wheel landing gear is designed to be particularly short and robust. It also enables take-off and landing from unpaved areas. Initially, the plan was to develop a vertical take-off transporter that had eight lift engines. However, these were removed prior to flight testing.

108 copies of the machine were built, mainly for the Italian Air Force . Production was distributed among several manufacturers. Aeritalia built the fuselage, Piaggio the wing center section including the motor nacelles, Aermacchi the remaining parts of the wings, SIAI-Marchetti the stern and IAM the flaps. The final assembly took place at Aeritalia in Naples.

Versions

• G-222: military transporter, 44 pieces made for Italy.
• G-222RM: Special version for the calibration of ground-based radio navigation and aeronautical radio systems. The first machine of this type was delivered to the Italian Air Force in 1983. Four pieces were delivered
• G-222SAA: A fire fighting aircraft with a modular fire extinguishing system for water or other extinguishing agents. The water bomber, which has a tank capacity of around 6 × 300 l, has been in action in Italy against forest fires since around 1985. Six machines of this type were built.
• G-222T: A version with a heavier takeoff weight, larger propellers, and Rolls-Royce-Tyne turboprops. About 20 pieces produced, two of them as VIP aircraft for Libya.
• G-222VS or G-222GE: An electronic warfare version that made its maiden flight on March 9, 1978. In addition to the pilot and co-pilot, the crew includes up to ten system operators. The booth of the type has been modified to accommodate the electronics needed to recognize, process and record electronic signatures. As an external distinguishing feature, the machine has a small radome under the nose and a larger one on the vertical stabilizer. Delivered two pieces.
• C-27A: 1990 bought the US Air Force ten copies, let avionics of Chrysler install and stationed them as C-27A "Spartan" in Panama , were retired until 1999th
• C-27J : Upgraded version developed in 1997 in a joint venture between Alenia and Lockheed Martin . The avionics and propulsion systems are largely identical to those of the latest J version of the Lockheed C-130 .

Users

 Italy The Italian Air Force introduced the machine into service in 1978.

Exports:

 Afghanistan : 20 modernized G.222 TCM machines of the Italian Air Force are to be delivered to the Afghan National Army Air Corps from mid-2009 to 2011, with two machines being converted into VIP transporters. Seven of the machines were delivered to the USA and renamed C-27A, six of which were delivered to Afghanistan and another was stationed as a training aircraft for the instructors of the pilots to be trained at Naples Airport (production site of the manufacturer Alenia). According to a decision by the US Department of Defense on December 28, 2012, however, the purchase should not be made.

 Argentina : Argentine Army Comando Aviación Ejército Argentino

 Lebanon

 Niger

 Somalia

 Thailand : Royal Thai Air Force (from 1995 to 2010)

 Tunisia

 Venezuela

 United Arab Emirates : Air Force of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (United Arab Emirates Air Force)

 United States : United States Air Force (from 1990 to 1999)

Incidents

From the first flight in 1970 to November 2018, there were eight total losses with the Aeritalia G.222. In five of them, 20 people were killed.

Technical specifications

Parameter	Data
crew	4th
Passengers	Max. 53
length	22.70 m
span	28.70 m
height	10.50 m
Wing area	82 m²
Wing extension	10.0
Empty mass	15,700 kg
Takeoff mass	nominal: 24,500, maximum: 28,000 kg
Marching speed	360 km / h
Top speed	540 km / h at 4575 m altitude
Service ceiling	7620 m
Range	fully loaded: 1259 km, nominal 2200 km, maximum 4950 km
Engines	2 × Turboprop General Electric T64- GE-P4D each 2,534 kW (3,445 PS)

See also

• List of aircraft types

Web links

Commons : G.222  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Data and photo at Flugzeuginfo.net

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Article in flightglobal , from September 30, 2010.
2. ↑ FliegerRevue November 2008, p. 8, G.222 for Afghanistan
3. ↑ Jane's International Defense Review, January 31, 2013
4. ↑ Archive link ( Memento from August 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
5. ↑ "The first three C-27As were retired to AMARC during 1997, the rest of the fleet arriving in January 1999. Despite the successes and the capabilities of the aircraft, the Air Force found the maintenance and parts expensive compared to other operational types and due to the reduction in funding decided to cancel the program. "( http://www.amarcexperience.com/ui/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&catid=8&Itemid=159309th )
6. ^ Accident statistics Alenia G-222 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 14, 2018.