Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboporop airliner first produced by Swearingen and later by Fairchild.
History
The Metroliner was produced as development of the Swearingen Merlin turboprop-powered business aircraft. Ed Swearingen started the developments that led to the Metro through gradual modifications to the Beechcraft Queen Air business aircraft, aircraft he dubbed Merlin. These were marketed as business aircraft seating 8 to 10 passengers.
Through successive models (Merlin I, II and III) less and less of the original Queen Air remained. Ultimately what was designed was a stretch of the Merlin III, sized to seat 22 passengers and called the Metro. Because FAA regulations limited an airliner to no more than 19 seats if no flight attendant was to be carried, the aircraft was optimized for that number of passengers. A corporate version, called the Merlin IV was also marketed.
Prototype construction began in 1968 and first flight was on 26 August 1969. Two of this original model, also identified as the SA-226TC, were delivered in 1972 to Societe Miniere de Bakwanga (MIBA) in Kinshasa, Zaire, the first customer to put the Metro into service. The first airline to put them into service was Air Wisconsin.
Late in 1971 Swearingen was aquired by Fairchild, and the plant in San Antonio, Texas where the Metro was built became part of Fairchild Aircraft Corporation.
In 1974 the original Metro I model was replaced with the Metro II. Among the changes made were larger square windows and provision for a small rocket motor in the tail cone, this being offered to improve takeoff performance out of "hot & high" airfields.
The Metro I and II were limited, again by FAA regulation, to a maximum weight of 12,500 pounds ( 5,670 kg). When this restriction was lifted the Metro II was recertified as the Metro IIA in 1980 at a maximum weight of 13,100 pounds (5,941 kg). The standard engines offered were two Garrett TPE331 turboprops driving three-bladed propellers.
The Metro III was next, also initially certified in 1980 at up to 14,000 pounds (6,350kg) this increasing to 14,500 pounds (6,577 kg) as engines and structures were upgraded. An option to go as high as 16,000 pounds (7,257 kg) was offered. Other improvements incorporated into the Metro III were a 10 ft (3.05 m) increase in wing span, four-bladed props, and numerous drag-reducing airframe modifications. A version with strengthened floors, aft loading doors, and the high gross weight option was offered as a cargo-only version known as the Expeditor. Finally, the Metro IIIA was offered with two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-45R turboprops in place of the Garrett units.
Improvements beyond the Metro III provided better systems, more power and a further increase in takeoff weight. This work resulted in the Metro 23, so named as it was designed for certification under FAR Part 23 (Amendment 34) standards. Many of these improvements also came about during work to produce the military C-26 model. A Metro 23 EF with a bulged lower fuselage for greater baggage capacity was also offered as well as an Expeditor 23.
Although Fairchild studied a version with a "stand-up" cabin (as in the Beechcraft 1900D) this was not built. The last Metro (a Metro 23 model) was produced in 2001. Over 600 Metros were built.
Models
- Metro I
- Metro II
- Metro III
- Metro 23
- Metro 23EF
- Metro C26 (military)
Trivia
Nicknamed the Flying Pencil because of its very small diameter cylindrical fuselage. The US military designation for Metroliner is C-26 and UC-26.