BAE Systems

The Aircraft of British Aerospace and BAE SYSTEMS 1977 - 2017 29

SATA, Air Europa, Biman Bangladesh
Airlines, British World Airlines, Loganair,
and Merpati of Indonesia. The aircraft
initially had problems with its engine/
gearbox, de-icing and undercarriage but
these were all eventually cured.

The ATP becomes the
Jetstream 61
In January 1993 the management of
British Aerospace decided to transfer all
aspects of the ATP to Jetstream Aircraft
Ltd, BAe’s turboprop subsidiary based at
Prestwick (the former Scottish Aviation
factory). This placed production of all
British Aerospace’s turboprop aircraft at
one centre. Production of the ATP was
now alongside that of the Jetstream 31
and 41. To reinforce the branding in April
1993 BAe announced that the ATP was

renamed the Jetstream 61.

Plans were announced at the 1993

Paris Air Show to expand the range of

Jetstream Aircraft’s offerings with a

Jetstream 51 and Jetstream 71. These

would have passenger capacity less than

and greater than the Jetstream 61

respectively. BAe made it clear that these

projects could only go ahead on a

collaborative basis. Neither type was

developed.

The first Jetstream 61 to be assembled

at Prestwick was the 64th aircraft,

registered G-JLXI. It made its maiden flight

on 10 May 1994 and appeared at the

1994 Farnborough Air Show in a dynamic

livery. Modifications incorporated on the

Jetstream 61 were more powerful Pratt &

Whitney 127Ds of 2,750shp, an improved

interior with larger luggage lockers and

an increase in operating weights.

The prototype ATP G-MATP had

already flown on 21 June 1993 with the

higher-powered Pratt & Whitney PW127D

engines. Following ATP’s rebranding as

the Jetstream 61 it was re-registered on

26 August 1994 as G-PLXI and flew in J61

livery.

The end of production

In January 1995 BAe decided to combine

with Aerospatiale (now EADS) of France

and Alenia (now Leonardo) of Italy to

form the European regional aircraft

consortium, Aero International (Regional)

to jointly market their regional aircraft.

This put the Jetstream 61 in direct

competition with the very successful

Aerospatiale/Alenia ATR42/72.

The Jetstream 61 was certified in

mid-June 1995 and the second J61

(G11-065) flew the following month. BAe

was still intending to sell six J61s before

closing the production line but none of

the Prestwick-built aircraft was sold. So

the two completed J61s and 13 more in

various states of completion on the

Prestwick and Chadderton production

lines were scrapped. Altogether only 65

ATPs/J61s were built and the last two

never even went into service.

The ATP Freighter

In 2000 BAE Systems Asset Management,

which then owned 40 ATPs, launched the †

The 748 and iTs successor – The aTP

Data 748 Series 2B AT P

Length 67 ft 85 ft 4 in

Wingspan 98 ft 6in 100 ft 6 in

Height 24 ft 10 in 23ft 5in

MTOW 46,500 lb 50,550 lb

Cruising speed 281 mph 306 mph

Range 904 mls 1,134 mls

Passengers 44-62 72

Powerplant 2 x 2,280hp Rolls-Royce Dart R.Da.7 Mk

536-2

2 x 2,570hp Pratt & Whitney Canada

PW124

‡ ATP Freighter

G-BTPH in service

with West Atlantic

Cargo Airlines.

(BAE SYSTEMS)