GAF Nomad

Design and development

Development of the Nomad began in 1965 at GAF as Project N. The Australian government funded two prototypes in January 1970 for the twin-engined, multi-purpose transport. The government was keen to build an aircraft in order to maintain aircraft production at GAF after the end of Mirage III production. The first prototype (registered VH-SUP) flew for the first time on 23 July 1971. The aircraft was now known as the N2, and was aimed at the military and civilian markets. The designation N22 was to be used for military aircraft (becoming N22B in production), and N24 was to be used for the lengthened civilian version.

The original design intention was that the entire empennage would be hinged, so that it could be swung open, providing rear-loading access (the target payload was a small vehicle). This necessitated the raised cruciform tail.

The Nomad design was considered problematic and early Royal Australian Air Force evaluations were critical of the design. An early, stretched-fuselage variant crashed, killing GAF's chief test pilot Stuart Pearce (father of actor Guy Pearce), and the assistant chief designer. The Nomad has been involved in a total of 32 total hull-loss accidents, which have resulted in 76 fatalities.

Only 172 Nomads (including the two prototypes) were manufactured, due to the limited foreign sales achieved by GAF. In 1986, GAF was incorporated into Aerospace Technologies of Australia, now Boeing Australia.

In June 2008, Gippsland Aeronautics (now GippsAero) announced it had won bidding to take over the Nomad's type certificate and would probably be restarting production. Some of the GippsAero design and testing engineers, including co-founder George Morgan, worked on Nomad development at GAF. The N24-based GA18 will be reengineered with new powerplants, propellers, glass cockpit and weight-saving measures. It is planned to bring it into service after the development and certification of the new ten-seat GA10, due to be complete in March 2013.

As of December 2009, only one Nomad is still flying in Australia, with another four in New Zealand.

Variants

N.2 Nomad

Prototype, two built.

N.22

Initial production version for 12 passengers for the Australian Army.

N.22B

13 passenger civil version.

N.22C

Cargo variant modified from N.22B with Maximum Takeoff Weight increased to 4,050 kilograms (8,930 lb).

N.22F Floatmaster

Twin floatplane version, two built.

N.24

Utility transport aircraft with a fuselage lengthened by 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m).

N.24A

Improved version for 17 passengers, 40 built.

N.24B

GA18

Re-engineered 18-seat N24 in development by GippsAero.

Nomad Missionmaster

Military transport and utility aircraft.

Nomad Searchmaster

Maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft.

Nomad N.22 Searchmaster B

Coastal patrol aircraft, seven built.

Nomad N.22 Searchmaster L

Improved version of the Searchmaster B, 11 built.

Nomad N.22 Searchmaster LI

Improved version of the Searchmaster B, fitted with the APS-104(N) 2 radar.

Nomad N.22 Searchmaster LII

Improved version of the Searchmaster B, fitted with the APS-104(V) 5 radar.

Australia

The Australian Army leased the second prototype N22 in 1973. It acquired 11 N22B between 1975 and 1977 for the 173rd Aviation Squadron. It subsequently acquired a 12th N22B from the Royal Australian Air Force in 1987. In 1993 the Army acquired eight more N22B and four N24A to replace its Pilatus PC-6 Porters. These 12 aircraft had been stored unsold when production ceased. All were withdrawn in 1995. Most were sold to the Indonesian Navy but two unflyable airframes are retained as training aids.

The Royal Australian Air Force acquired an N22B in 1977. Although owned by the RAAF it was operated as part of the Army's 173rd Aviation Squadron. It was transferred to the Army in 1987. The RAAF subsequently acquired a former Coastwatch Nomad Searchmaster and three N24As in 1989, one which had been a GAF/ASTA test frame and two from a cancelled order for United States Customs Service. They were withdrawn in 1993.

Indonesia

The Indonesian Navy Aviation Service acquired 12 Nomad Searchmaster B and six Searchmaster L in 1975-77. It subsequently acquired two N24A from the Royal Australian Air Force in 1993 then 14 N22B and four N24A from the Australian Army in 1995.

Civil operators

This list includes former Nomad operators.

 Australia

Air Queensland (Previously Bush Pilots Airways)

Barrier Reef Airways (Float plane version)

Clubair

National Safety Council of Australia

Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia

Sunstate Airlines

 Chile

Transportes Aéreos Isla Robinson Crusoe

 Italy

Alimediterranea

 Malaysia

Layang Layang Aerospace

Sabah Air

 Netherlands

Holland Aero Lines

 New Zealand

Air Safaris

Great Barrier Airlines

 Papua New Guinea

Independent Air Transport

 Paraguay

Paraguay Air Service

 Samoa

Polynesian Airlines

 Suriname

Gum Air

  Switzerland

Rhine Air

 United States

Air Marshall Islands

Century Airlines (commuter air carrier in California)

Coral Air

Princeton Airways

Skybus Express Airlines

Current military operators

 Indonesia

Indonesian Navy - 42 N22B and N24A Nomad - 23 in storage: status AOG, 19 airworthy and six in service.

 Philippines

Philippine Air Force - 20 Nomads (three in service)

Former military operators

 Australia

Australian Army Aviation

173rd Aviation Squadron - one N22 (prototype, leased), 20 N22B, four N24A

School of Army Aviation (two N22B seconded from 173rd Aviation Squadron specifically to train Papua New Guinea Defence Force student pilots)

Royal Australian Air Force - one N22B, one Nomad Searchmaster, three N24A

No. 75 Squadron RAAF

Aircraft Research and Development Unit

 Philippines

Philippine Navy - 15 N24A Nomad

 Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea Defence Force

 Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force (N22B) 22 aircraft delivered from 1982, retired in December 2015

Royal Thai Navy (N24A)

Other government operators

 Australia

Australian Customs Service (Coastwatch)

 United States

United States Customs Service

Aircraft on display

Thailand

N22 46122 - in the Royal Thai Air Force Museum at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok

United States

N22C ex-N6328 of the United States Customs Service - on outdoor display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona

Notable incidents

On 6 June 1976, Tun Fuad Stephens, the 5th chief minister of Sabah, Malaysia, plus ten others, died in the crash of a Nomad in the state capital, Kota Kinabalu.

On 23 December 1979, a Nomad operated by Douglas Airways (P2-DNL) crashed on the airstrip (MRM) at Manari, a village on the Kokoda Track in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea, killing all 16 passengers and crew. The presence of at least one baby on board, Maia Sori aged six months, accounts for the high number of fatalities and may make this the worst crash in the history of this aircraft type.

On 4 May 1987, a Nomad of the Indonesian Naval Aviation Unit, PUSPENERBAL crashed at the Mapur Island, Bintan area, Riau Province. The aircraft was a total loss.

On 9 September 1991, an Australian Army N22B Nomad crashed near Drake in northern NSW with the loss of four people, including the pilot.

On 10 February 2001, Gum Air’s N24A Nomad (PZ-TBP) crashed on a flight from Paramaribo – Zanderij (Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport PBM/SMJP) to Njoeng Jacob Kondre Airstrip SMJK. The aircraft had fallen out of radio contact, and personnel at the airstrip in Jacob Kondre said it was flying low, and crashed into a mountain. All nine passengers plus the pilot perished.

On 30 December 2007, a PENERBAL Nomad crashed in the area of We island, Nangroe Aceh Darussalam Province.

On 7 September 2009, a Nomad of the Indonesian Naval Aviation Unit, PENERBAL, crashed in the area of Bulungan, East Borneo. The aircraft was on a routine patrol near Ambalat Oil Block. The accident caused the fatality of one Naval officer, plus three civilians on board. The pilot and copilot received serious injuries.

On 28 January 2010, a Nomad of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) crashed shortly after takeoff into a residential area in Cotabato City, killing Maj. Gen. Butch Lacson, commander of the PAF 3rd Air Division, plus seven other officers on board.

Specifications (N22B)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83

General characteristics

Crew: one or two pilots

Capacity: 12 passengers

Length: 12.56 m (41 ft 2⅜ in)

Wingspan: 16.52 m (54 ft 2¼ in)

Height: 5.52 m (18 ft 1½ in)

Wing area: 31.10 m² (324.0 sq ft)

Airfoil: NACA 23018 (modified)

Empty weight: 2,150 kg (4,730 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 3,855 kg (8,480 lb)

Powerplant: 2 × Allison 250-B17C turboprop engines, 313 kW (420 shp) each

Performance

Cruise speed: 311 km/h (168 knots, 193 mph)

Stall speed: 88 km/h (47 knots, 55 mph) (power off, flaps down)

Range: 1,074 km (580 nm, 668 miles)

Service ceiling: 6,400 m (21,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 7.4 m/s (1,460 ft/min)