Wingspan 14 m | Length 17 m First flight April 21, 1964 | |
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The Hamburger Flugzeugbau HFB-320 Hansa Jet is an all-metal, twin-engine, ten-seat business jet that was built by German aircraft manufacturer Hamburger Flugzeugbau between 1964 and 1973.
Contents
- PEX 1967 Hansa Jet HFB 320 CJ610 FDX UPS DHL Carib RTE 1992
- Development
- Civilian Operators
- Military operators
- Specifications HFB 320
- References
The most notable feature of the aircraft is its forward-swept wing, which is mid-mounted in the fuselage. This arrangement allows the wing spar to pass through the fuselage behind the passenger cabin without decreasing cabin volume. As of 2011, it remains the only civilian jet ever to use a forward-swept wing.
PEX 1967 Hansa Jet HFB 320 CJ610 FDX, UPS & DHL Carib RTE 1992
Development
The prototype first flew on 21 April 1964 and was exhibited at the May 1964 Hanover Air Show. A second prototype was flown on 19 October 1964. After a year of certification flight testing, the first prototype crashed on 12 May 1965, due to a design fault with the T-tail. Hamburger Flugzeugbau's chief test pilot perished in the crash. As a result of the accident, modifications were made to improve the aircraft's stall performance, including a stick pusher.
Assembly of the first ten production aircraft began in May 1965, with the first flying on 2 February 1966. German type certification was achieved on 23 February 1967, with American certification following on 7 April 1967. Italcementi of Italy took first customer delivery on 26 September 1967. Other corporate purchasers of the HFB-320 included the Argentinian state-owned Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales oil company.
The German Air Force had ordered 13 HFB-320s in 1963. As part of the evaluation of the type, two preproduction aircraft were delivered to the ErpSt 61 test wing at Oberpfaffenhoffen in 1966. This resulted in six aircraft being ordered for VIP use by the German Air Force. Production deliveries for use as VIP transports commenced in 1969.
A further eight Hansa jets were purchased by the German Air Force for ECM training, these being delivered between August 1976 and April 1982. The German Air Force replaced its VIP Hansas with Canadair Challengers in 1987, but the ECM aircraft remained in service until 1994.
Increased competition from newer executive jet models and a comparatively poor safety record led to dwindling orders, with production ceasing in 1973. The Aviation Safety Network lists a total of nine accidents (six fatal) for the type, a 20 percent hull-loss rate, but only the crash of the prototype was directly attributable to the aircraft's design. Pilot error was blamed in a majority of the accidents.
Civilian Operators
Military operators
Specifications (HFB 320)
Data from
General characteristics
Performance