February 6, 2009
The C27J Story:
An Exceptionally Capable Aircraft for Exceptional Needs
The C-27J Spartan is the newest generation twin-engine military turboprop in the world. Reflecting a pedigree of more than 12,000 aircraft designed, built and maintained by thousands of engineers and technicians around the world. The C-27J boasts of an unbeatable mission accomplishment rate and a high level of safety.
First flown in 1999, the C-27J is the product of thousands of hours of design and engineering by Alenia Aeronautica over a three-year period.
The C-27J builds on the excellent record of its predecessor, the G-222/C-27A, which has accumulated 300,000 flying hours and an unmatched mission availability rate. The C-27A achieved a 99%+ mission capability and departure reliability rate in service with the U.S. military. None of the planes have suffered any accidents or significant reductions in fleet availability due to structural design or manufacturing failures.
Virtually a new aircraft from cockpit to tail, the C-27J is certified for a 25-year service life, making it the only military aircraft in its class with such a certification. It is also the world’s best selling twin engine multi-mission military aircraft with over 121 units sold.
STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing):
Designed from the outset as a STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) aircraft, the extremely maneuverable, versatile and rugged C-27J boasts the highest power-to-weight ratio in its class and the ability to perform fighter-aircraft like 3.0g maneuvers, which are particularly important for mountain SAR. The C-27J Spartan boasts 35% increase in speed and a 30% higher operating ceiling than previous Alenia multi-mission military aircraft. This capability provides the C-27J with nearly 50% greater STOL weight capacity at take off than any competitor.
Fuselage:
The C-27J’s new structure boasts increased payload capacity and ruggedness over previous versions. The airframe is military designed with a three-spar wing and tail providing exceptional strength. New nacelles were developed for the new engines and propellers (see below). It has an equal floor strength to the C-130 Hercules.
Landing Gear:
The C-27J incorporates brand new civil and military-certified landing gear that is three times more robust than gear used in previous models of Alenia multi-mission aircraft, and is specifically designed for the C-27J.
Engines:
The C-27J uses state-of-the-art Rolls Royce AE2100 D2 Engines. It is the most powerful engine in its class and shares 80% commonality of parts of the AE2100D3 engine of the new C-130J Hercules acquired by the Canadian Forces.
Propellers:
The new six-bladed R391 propellers incorporate advanced technologies developed by Dowty Propellers over the past 60 years, and is certified to FAR35 and JAR-25. These are the same propellers used on the new C-130J Hercules and are another feature that will provide excellent commonality with other aircraft in the Canadian Forces fleet.
Avionics:
The C-27J is equipped with a modern suite of avionics which represent the most advanced system available for military tactical, multi-mission aircraft. The avionics suite for the C-27J uses more than two-thirds of the same software code as the C-130J. The avionics suite for the C-27J has built-in growth capability to satisfy specific customer needs. The C-27J has navigation and night piloting systems that allow the aircraft to fly just above tree height even at night, complimenting the “low and slow” requirements for FWSAR.
Autonomous Operation Capacity:
The C-27J was designed with fully autonomous operation - whether on fields with no support equipment; or in harsh conditions such as the high Arctic, hot temperatures and high altitude – as a primary goal. A new Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) provides the C-27J with an independent power source. The C-27J can also be refueled from another C-27J and is available with mid-air refueling capability. The APU and triple redundant electronic and hydraulic systems make the C-27J one of the most rugged and safe aircraft in the world.
Cockpit:
A new modern cockpit configuration with 16 windows provides unparalleled visibility for SAR missions and tight maneuvering. A full suite of new avionics, mission and communications systems have all been designed for the C-27J.
Summary:
- These new features and more, have produced a new generation of multi-mission aircraft in the C-27J Spartan which offers:
- Loading capacity at the top of its class
- High performance and survivability
- Extremely high reliability and mission availability
- STOL and steep decent capability
- Excellent maneuverability and handling
- All-weather, day/night mission capability
- Modern cockpit and avionics
- Low-life cycle costs
- Commonality and interoperability with new military fleet acquisitions (C130J, CH-47, etc.)
- Autonomous operations
- Unprecedented 25-year certified military service life
- Military and civilian certification
- Built-in growth capacity and flexible platform configuration
C-27J Spartan - Quick facts:
- Length 74.5 ft / 22.70 m
- Height 31.7 ft / 9.69 m
- Wingspan 94.2 ft / 28.70 m
- Maximum TOW 67,253 lb / 30,505 kg
- Payload/range 22,000 lb / 9,979 kg at 1,050 n.mi / 1,852 km
