Fokker 100 - Design and Development

Design and Development

The Fokker F28 Mk 0100 program was announced in 1983 as an updated replacement for Fokker's popular, but superseded F28 Fellowship design. Marketed as the Fokker 1000 the design was based on the original F28 but features modern avionics, new generation Rolls-Royce Tay turbofan engines and a redesigned wing. However the most noticeable difference was the longer fuselage, which increased seating by 65% from 65 in the original F28 series to a maximum of 107 in a three-by-two single-class arrangement. The new wing is claimed by Fokker to be 30% more efficient in cruise, while still keeping the simplicity of a fixed leading edge. The cockpit was updated with a Rockwell Collins DU-1000 EFIS. Like the Fokker Fellowship, the Fokker 100 features twin rear fuselage-mounted engines and a T-tail, similar to that of the Douglas DC-9 family. The Fokker 100 does not have eyebrow windows above the main cockpit windows as on the Fokker F28.

Two prototypes were built - the first, PH-MKH, flew for the first time on November 30, 1986, and the second, PH-MKC, followed on 25 February 1987. The type certificate was awarded in November 1987. The first deliveries of the TAY620-15 powered versions started to Swissair in February 1988. American Airlines (75 aircraft ordered), TAM Transportes AƩreos Regionais (now TAM Airlines) (50 aircraft) and US Air (40 aircraft) were major customers of the Fokker 100 and their aircraft were powered by the more powerful TAY 650-15.

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