The Saab 2000 regional transport turboprop aircraft was developed by Saab Aircraft of Linköping, Sweden. It first flew in March 1992 and entered service with launch customer Crossair (now Swiss) in 1994. There are 60 Saab 2000 aircraft operational worldwide in France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Marshall Islands, Sweden, Switzerland and USA. Production of the aircraft ceased in 1999.
Saab Aircraft Leasing, with headquarters in Washington DC, leases around 289 Saab 340 and Saab 2000 aircraft to 25 airlines. Airlines leasing the Saab 2000 include AirJet of France, Lithuanian Airlines, AeroLitoral of Mexico, Transwest Air of Canada, Blue 1 (formerly Air Botnia) of Finland and OLT GmbH of Germany.
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The maximum cruise speed is 370ktas (knots true airspeed), 685km/h and the maximum range is 2,868km. The high-speed performance allows airline operators to interchange fleet timetables with jet aircraft on 500nm routes. The aircraft can carry 50 passengers to destinations over 1,000nm in a flight time of three hours.
SAAB 2000 VARIANTS
The Saab 2000 AEWC aircraft is being developed as an airborne early warning and control variant equipped with a spine-mounted Saab Systems Erieye PS-890 side looking reconnaissance radar.
The Saab 2000FI is a flight inspection mission aircraft developed for the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau.
In June 2006, the Pakistan Air Force placed an order for six Saab 2000 aircraft to be fitted with the Saab Systems Erieye radar. The aircraft will be used for Airborne Early Warning (AEW). The order was reduced by an undisclosed number of aircraft in 2007. In October 2007, Thailand selected the Saab 2000 Erieye AEW aircraft. Two aircraft are required.
FLIGHT DECK
The aircraft is equipped with a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics suite with integrated avionics processor (IAP), an engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS) and a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS). The flight control systems include an Attitude Heading and Reference System (AHRS) and a Digital Air Data System (DADS).
The navigation suite includes an inertial reference system, a Rockwell Collins WR-840 solid-state weather radar with an optional turbulence detection radar. The cockpit has Swedlow electrically heated windscreen panels.
SAAB 2000 DESIGN
The design of the Saab 2000 is based on the Saab 340, but with a longer fuselage (27.28m versus 19.73m) and larger wing (55.74m³ versus 41.81m³). The 16.7m-long, 2.16m-wide cabin, fitted by Standard AIM Aviation (UK), is configured in a single aisle, three abreast arrangement for 50 to 58 passengers.
The pressurised and air-conditioned cabin is equipped with an Ultra Electronics active noise control system. The aircraft is equipped with a Pacific Scientific fire detection system, a Kidde Graviner fire extinguishing system, a Hamilton Standard Recircair air conditioning and environmental control system which uses engine bleed air.
TURBOPROP ENGINES
The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce Allison AE 2100A turboprop engines, each rated at 3,096kW and fitted with Lucas Aerospace Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). The engine cowlings are manufactured by Westland and Hispano-Suiza.
The six-bladed Dowty propellers, type R381, are constant-speed propellers with auto-feathering and reverse pitch. The blades are fitted with electrical de-icing.
Two integral fuel tanks installed in the outer wing have a total usable capacity of 5,300l. The fuel system is fitted with an overwing gravity refuelling station in each wing and one pressure refuelling station in the starboard wing.
A Sundstrand auxiliary power unit provides power for engine starting and for the air-conditioning system.
