P4023 ATR 42 - AIR FRANCE

The ATR 42 is a modern, French-Italian, twin-engine passenger and transport aircraft in the high-wing configuration. The drive is provided by - in the ATR 42-200 version - two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW120 turboprop engines with a power of 1800 KM each. The prototype flight took place in 1984. Serial production started in the same year and is continued. By 2017, 476 aircraft of this type had been produced. ATR 42 was developed by a consortium of two companies: French Aerospatiale and Italian Aeritalia, which at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s decided to develop a civil aircraft for regional short and medium-range transport. Ultimately, a successful machine powered by turboprop engines was created, capable of carrying 50 passengers and cheaper to operate than jet planes. Several major development variants emerged in the course of series production. The first was the ATR 42-200, the first mass-produced model of this aircraft powered by PW120 engines. Later, the ATR 42-300 version with more powerful engines entered production. In the 1990s, the ATR 42-500 version also appeared, with richer avionics, other engines and propellers, and significantly improved passenger compartment comfort. In December 2017, only 5 ATR-42 aircraft were used for military purposes, including by the air forces of Colombia and Nigeria.