Aviation Traders Ltd
Aviation Traders is a company founded in 1947 British Aerospace - companies that originally intended, a successor to the famous American Douglas DC-3 to develop and bring to market. In the course of time, various types of aircraft were initially converted to order and in 1957 the ATL-90 Accountant was brought out as the first own model. The company had the greatest success, however, with the conversion of Douglas DC-4 to special cargo aircraft with an elevated cockpit called ATL-98 Carvair , which could carry both cars and passengers . Today Aviation Traders operates as a technical development and consulting company and also produces various components and equipment for aviation. The aviation company was at times as Aviation Traders Engineering Ltd known.
history
founding
The company Aviation Traders Limited was founded in 1947 by British businessman and private pilot Sir Freddie Laker (1922-2006) on the airfield of Rochford in Southend-on-Sea in the county of Essex in England founded. The company emerged from the Britavia company , which he also owned. Freddie Laker was one of the many designers and manufacturers who tried at the time to develop and successfully market a more modern successor to the famous American Douglas DC-3, which was popular long after the Second World War . Laker's first drafts for this go back to 1945.
First conversions
First, Aviation Traders began converting existing aircraft types according to the customer's wishes. The company converted redundant military training aircraft such as the Percival Prentice and a few other types for civilian use.
At around the same time, some four-engine Avro Tudor were converted into cargo aircraft with the designation Avro Super Trader on behalf of customers after the original aircraft had not proven themselves as commercial aircraft .
First own aircraft
The result of the work on its own aircraft was the Aviation Traders ATL-90 Accountant , which, according to Lakers , was intended to be the successor to the Douglas DC-3 and was to be sold all over the world. The first flight of the machine took place on July 9, 1957. The Accountant was designed as a modern twin-engine aircraft for 28 passengers and was as successful Avro 748 , Fokker F-27 Friendship , NAMC YS-11 and Handley Page Dart Herald of Rolls-Royce Dart - propeller turbines driven. Unfortunately, the market for such aircraft was already saturated and the Accountant, despite undeniable qualities and some interest, ultimately found no buyers. The Accountant was Aviation Traders' first and last own aircraft type. Only one prototype was completed and flown, the two other prototypes originally intended for construction were no longer built due to the discontinuation of the program.
Carvair - the most successful model
On the other hand, business with retrofitting according to customer requirements continued to be all the more successful. As the late 1950s, the air cargo transport for bulky goods and cars across the English Channel grew strongly and its in use Bristol 170 Freighter quickly became too small, the question arose for a larger replacement. Aviation Traders recognized the business potential and presented the respective airlines with a conversion based on the Douglas DC-4 or C-54 , which retained the original airframe from the wing with the exception of the vertical stabilizer and landing gear, but completely redesigned the front area was. The front fuselage was lengthened by 2.64 m and the cockpit was raised to enable a large hydraulic loading gate, which gave the new machine a characteristic hump in the front area, reminiscent of that of the later Boeing 747 .
With this machine called Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair ( Carvair = Car-via-Air = transport of cars by air), which took off on its maiden flight on June 21, 1961 , 5 cars and 25 passengers could be carried in the rear. Other combinations were also possible on request. A total of 21 DC-4s were converted to Carvair and, after their use across the English Channel, sold to operators all over the world until 1972 and flown for many years as a transport aircraft for bulky loads. Today only one Carvair is still in use as a cargo aircraft in the USA , with around 5 or 6 machines still in existence, but only three of them are still airworthy. The Carvair is considered the ideal forerunner of the Boeing 747 and is also called Mini Jumbo or Propeller Jumbo .
Today's activity
After finishing working as an aircraft manufacturer , Aviation Traders has continued to work as a technical development and consulting company for other aviation companies . The company also has facilities for testing structural and mechanical components as well as electrical systems. In addition, components for aircraft construction are also manufactured, such as waste water tanks, ice formation alarms, de-icing systems, safety equipment, seats, etc.
Aircraft types
Conversions by order
- Percival Prentice (conversion for civil operation)
- Avro Tudor (conversion to the Avro Super Trader freighter )
Own aircraft types
Conversions on your own
- ATL-98 Carvair ( Douglas DC-4 specially converted into a cargo aircraft )
