Airbus C295. Photo: Airbus
The Airbus medium tactical transport aircraft has reached 300 orders, with the C295 and its market share becoming a success story for the European and Spanish aerospace industry. Here are 13 interesting facts and figures about the aircraft:
+ Click here to watch the Airbus C295 video
Here are 13 interesting facts and figures about the aircraft:
1 – The Airbus C295 reached 300 orders following the acquisition by the Republic of Kazakhstan of a third aircraft, in a transport configuration, for the National Security Committee’s Aviation Service. This new aircraft joins the two C295s already operated by this agency.
2- In 1999, the Spanish Air and Space Force became the first C295 customer by acquiring nine aircraft, in a transport configuration, with the first aircraft being delivered in 2000.
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3 – The C295 is the market leader in the medium tactical transport category with over 80% of the market. Currently, there are 41 operators from 37 countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Of these 41 operators, 19 have made repeat orders.
4 – India is the largest customer of the C295, with 56 units, 16 assembled in Seville and the remainder to be assembled by Tata in Vadodara, India. In September 2023, the Indian Air Force (IAF) received the first aircraft. The delivery of the second aircraft is scheduled for May 2024, and the next 14 will be delivered at a rate of one per month until August 2025.
5 – So far, the C295 has accumulated 610,000 flight hours among all its operators. The operator with the highest number of flight hours is the Spanish Air and Space Force, with over 90,000 flight hours. The Brazilian Air Force has the C295 with the highest number of flight hours, accumulating more than 9,000 flight hours.
6 – Following the success of the C212 and the CN235, Construcciones Aeronáuticas (C.A.S.A.), the origin of Airbus in Spain, decided to launch the C295, a natural evolution of the CN235, a slightly larger aircraft with 50% more capabilities.
7 – Compared to its predecessor, the C295 is characterized by a more powerful engine, the Pratt and Whitney Canada PW100 of 2645 hp, a new propeller, a redesigned wing, among other changes, but maintaining as much similarity between both platforms as possible.
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8 – The name C295 stands for C for CASA, 2 for the number of engines, and 95 for the initially planned maximum payload: 9.5 tons.
9 – The program was officially launched in 1996, construction of the first prototype began in early 1997, and the first flight took place in November of that year in Getafe, Madrid. In November 1999, the Spanish National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) militarily certified the aircraft for the first time.
10 – The C295 is capable of taking off and landing on short (STOL), soft, and unpaved surfaces, making it the ideal aircraft for operations theaters around the world, from desert and arid climates to cold and tropical climates.
11 – An example of STOL capability is the use of roads by Polish or Finnish C295s as runways in preparation for an attack.
12 – C295 mission aircraft are equipped with the Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) developed by Airbus Defence and Space, allowing the C295 to perform functions ranging from anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare (ASW) to search and rescue (SAR), maritime patrol (MPA), signal intelligence (SIGINT), and environmental protection, among others. The FITS can be operated remotely from the ground.
13 – The C295 can also be used as an air tanker for aerial refueling of other aircraft or helicopters, both during day and night operations. This requires the installation of a roll-on/roll-off kit.
