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Xian MA60

MA60

Picture - Lao Airlines Xian MA60

Role: Turboprop airliner
Manufacturer: Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation
First flight: February 25, 2000
Introduced: 2000
Status: In production
Primary user: China
Produced: 2000 - present
Number built: 41 (April 2010)
Unit cost: $12.5 million (2006)
Developed from: Xian Y-7
Variants: Xian MA600

Picture - Zest Airways MA60 at Marinduque Airport, Philippines

The Xian MA60 ("Modern Ark 60") is a turboprop-powered airliner made by China's Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation under the China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I). The MA60 is a stretched version of the Xian Y7-200A.

The airplane received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in June 2000. The first aircraft was delivered to Sichuan Airlines in August 2000.

As of October 2006, XAC has received over 90 MA60 orders. The factory had delivered 23 MA60s by the end of 2006, and expects to deliver an additional 165 units by the end of 2016.

Variants

Xian MA60-100 : Reduced weight improved performance.
Xian MA60-MPA Fearless Albatross : Maritime patrol amd ASW variant offered for sale at Airshow China 2002.
Xian MA40 : Reduced capacity 40 seat variant offered for sale in 2002.
Xian MA60H-500 : A military cargo version of the MA-60, with rear cargo ramp.
Xian MA600 : A much improved MA60, the prototype of which was completed on 29 June 2008.

Picture - Lao Airlines MA60 at Louangnamtha Airport, Laos

Accidents and incidents

On 11 January 2009, Zest Airways Flight 865, a Xian MA60 with 22 passengers three crew aboard, undershot runway 06 when it landed at Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, swerved sharply to the left when it touched the runway after the initial impact and hit a concrete barrier seriously damaging its nose. The plane's landing gears and propellers also suffered major damage. Three people were injured. There were no fatalities.
On June 25, 2009, Zest Airways Flight 863, a Xian MA60 with 54 passengers and five crew aboard, overshot the runway when it landed at Godofredo P. Ramos Airport. There were no injuries.
On 3 November 2009, Xian MA60 UM-239 of Air Zimbabwe hit five warthogs on take-off from Harare International Airport. The take-off was successfully aborted but the undercarriage collapsed, causing substantial damage to the aircraft.

Operators

In April 2010, 30 MA60 are in service and 10 are stored:

Picture - Transporte Aéreo Militar MA60 at Cochabamba Airport, Bolivia

Bolivia

TAM - Transporte Aéreo Militar - 2 in service

Democratic Republic of the Congo

LAC - 6 on order

Ecuador

Ecuadorian Air Force is negotiating for 2 MA60 + 2 Option (August 2009)

Ghana

Ghana Air Force is negotiating for 2 MA60 (October 2010)

Picture - Model of a MA60 in Joy Air colors

Indonesia

Merpati Nusantara Airlines - 8 in service, 7 on order

Laos

Lao Airlines - 4 in service, 2 MA600 on order

Myanmar

Myanma Airways - 3 in service (XY-AIO, XY-AIP and XY-AIQ )

People's Republic of China

Civil Aviation Flight University of China
China United Airlines - 1 in service, 1 stored
Okay Airways - 2 in service, 8 on order
Joy Air (Xingfu Airlines) - 6 in service, 3 on order
Sichuan Airlines - 2 stored
Wuhan Airlines - 3 stored
YingAn Airlines - 1 in service

Philippines

Zest Airways - 4 currently in service, 1 written off after an accident, 6 additional MA60 ordered on 30 May 2009)

Republic of the Congo

Air Congo Int'l - 3 in service, negotiating for 6 more

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Air Force - 4 MA60 ordered (March 2010)
Mihin Lanka - 2 MA60 ordered (March 2010)

Tajikistan

Tajik Air - 2 on order

Zambia

Zambian Air Force - 2 in service

Zimbabwe

Air Zimbabwe - 2 in service, 1 crashed on 3 November 2009, negotiating for additional 2
Summary of Airlines Using MA60

Specifications (MA60)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003-2004

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Capacity: 60 passengers
Length: 24.71 m (81 ft 0¾ in)
Wingspan: 29.20 m (95 ft 9½ in)
Height: 8.86 m (29 ft 0½ in)
Wing area: 75.0 m² (807 ft²)
Empty weight: 13,700 kg (30,203 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 21,800 kg (48,060 lb)
Powerplant: 2x— Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127J Turboprop, 2,051 kW (2,750 shp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 514 km/h (278 knots, 319 mph)
Cruise speed: 430 km/h (232 knots, 267 mph) (econ cruise speed)
Range: 1,600 km (864 nmi, 994 mi)
Service ceiling: 7,620 m (25,000 ft)

Related development

Xian Y-7
Antonov An-24
Xian MA600

Comparable aircraft

Antonov An-140
Ilyushin Il-114
ATR 72
Bombardier Dash 8
CASA CN-235

Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003-2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.

Xian MA60 Pictures

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Source: WikiPedia