Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair

  • CountryUnited Kingdom
  • TypeFreighter/utility transport
  • PowerplantsFour 1080kW (1450hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7M2 Twin Wasp 14 cylinder twin row radial engines driving three blade Hamilton Standard Hydromatic variable pitch propellers.
  • PerformanceMax speed 402km/h (217kt), max cruising speed 342km/h (185kt), economical cruising speed at 10,000ft 334km/h (180kt). Service ceiling at 33,110kg (73,000lb) 18,700ft. Range with max fuel and 4500kg (10,000lb) payload 5560km (3000nm). Range with 8035kg (17,700lb) payload 2745km (1480nm).
  • WeightsEmpty equipped 18,762kg (41,365lb), max takeoff 33,475kg (73,800lb).
  • DimentionsWing span 35.82m (117ft 6in), length 31.27m (102ft 7in), height 9.09m (29ft 10in). Wing area 135.8m2 (1462sq ft).
  • CapacityFlightcrew of two. Maximum seating in a passenger configuration for 85 at five abreast at 86cm (34in) pitch. When used as a car ferry it was typically outfitted to carry five cars plus 22 passengers in the rear cabin.
  • ProductionTotal Carvair conversions number 21, the last of which was completed in 1968.

Avionics Traders created the Carvair because of Channel Air Bridge's prerequisite for an air ship equipped for transporting travelers and their autos between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.

In spite of the fact that its outer appearance is truly changed, the Carvair is a transformation of the Douglas DC-4 air transport (or C-54 Skymaster in military pretense), expansive quantities of which were accessible after World War 2. The airframe from the wings rearward is that of a standard DC-4, with the exception of a stretched vertical tail for improved controllability. The significant alterations performed on the forward fuselage focused on another stretched nose area with a powerfully worked load entryway and a hoisted flightdeck (comparative in appearance to that which would show up on the Boeing 747 few years after the fact) which permitted nose stacking for autos.

To start with flight of the Carvair transformation was on June 21 1961, the sort therefore entering administration with British United Air Ferries (into which Channel Air Bridge had been combined, it later got to be British Air Ferries and was known as British World Airways, which stopped exchanging December 2001) in March 1962. Conveyances to different administrators incorporated three for Aer Lingus of Ireland and two for Aviaco of Spain, with other flying machine worked by French, Australian and Luxembourg bearers.

Flying Traders likewise proposed a Carvair sort transformation of the Douglas DC-6, DC-6b and DC-7, with the alternative of reengining with Rollsroyce Dart turboprops, despite the fact that these arrangements were never helped through.

In 1998 one Carvair was worked via Hawkair Aviation in British Colombia, Canada, enrolled C-GAAH. An alternate works from Bear Creek/Tara Field in Georgia in the USA, while a third is put away in South Africa. All are ex Ansett machines.

Pictures of Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair