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Harmony Point Acupuncture Gainesville Florida 352-222-3816 and 352-222-382... harmonypointacupuncture.c... | ::MedFlight:: DISPATCH: 1.800.222.LIFE (5433) medflight.com |
The Aeritalia G.222 (formerly Fiat Aviazione, now Alenia) is a medium-sized STOL military transport aircraft. It was developed to meet a NATO specification, but Italy was initially the only NATO member to adopt the type. The United States purchased a small number of G.222s, designating them the C-27A Spartan.[1][2][3][4] The C-27J Spartan is a more modern development with the engines and systems of the C-130J Super Hercules.
[edit] DevelopmentIn 1962, NATO issued a specification for a V/STOL transport aircraft (NATO Basic Military Requirement 4), capable of supporting dispersed V/STOL fighters, with Fiat's design team, lead by Giuseppe Gabrelli, producing a design to meet this requirement, designated G.222, powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines and with six to eight Rolls-Royce RB162 lift engines to give VTOL capability.[5] Although none of the submissions resulted in a production contract, the Italian Air Force, felt that the Fiat Aviazione proposal was worthy of development and ordered two prototypes plus a ground-test airframe in 1968. These aircraft were slightly simplified from the original proposal, omitting the lift engines and substituting a pair of General Electric T64s for the Darts.[6] The first prototype flew on 18 July 1970, and the Air Force began evaluating the two prototypes at the end of December 1971. Testing proved successful, and a contract for 44 aircraft was issued to Aeritalia (of which Fiat Aviazione had since become a part),[7] the first aircraft entering service in April 1978.[8] In 1977, Libya tried to buy 20 G.222s, but the U.S. Government, who had imposed an embargo on the supply of military equipment to Libya, vetoed the sale of T-64 engines. To get around this restriction, Aeritalia developed a version of the G.222 powered by the Rolls-Royce Tyne engine, and with other US supplied equipment replaced by European equivalents to avoid boycotts, the more powerful Tyne engine giving better "hot and high" performance.[9] An order of 20 Tyne powered aircraft for Libya followed.  In 1990, the United States Air Force selected the G.222 as the basis of a "Rapid-Response Intra-Theater Airlifter" (RRITA). Designated as the C-27A Spartan, ten G.222s were purchased and underwent avionics upgrades by Chrysler Aerospace. These aircraft were stationed at Howard AFB, Panama,[10] but were withdrawn from service in 1999. [edit] DesignThe G.222 is of typical configuration for aircraft of its type, with high-mounted wings, twin turboprop engines, and a rear loading ramp. The cargo deck is sized to accommodate standard 463L pallets, has a door in the floor for airdropping, a built-in oxygen delivery system for medevac operations, and platforms at the side doors for paratroop deployment. The G.222 is one of the few cargo planes capable of flying loops and other maneuvers such as flying at about 80-90 kts (with the cargo door in the back open) and short track landing (takes only about 300 m to stop the plane after touching the ground when empty). [edit] Operational history
Used in combat operations for the first time by Ejercito Argentino in the 1982 Falklands War. Widely engaged in all peace keeping/enforcing missions carried out by Italian armed forces between 1980 and 2005. On 3 September 1992 one Aeronautica Militare Italiana G.222 operating for a United Nations relief mission, was shot down when approaching Sarajevo airfield. The crash site was located 18 miles (29 km) away from the airfield; the NATO rescue mission aborted when the 2 USMC CH-53 helicopters were fired upon with small arms. The cause of the crash was determined to be a surface to air missile, but it was not clear who shot it. All the crew members, four Italian and four French passengers, died.[11][12] [edit] Variants 
Main article: C-27J Spartan [edit] Operators
[edit] Incidents and accidents
The Italian Air Force, the main G.222 operator suffered 3 losses due to accidents.
[edit] Specifications (G.222)Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89[16] General characteristics
Performance
[edit] See alsoRelated development Comparable aircraft [edit] References
[edit] External links
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