An Airbus C295W aircraft belonging to the Mexican Navy (SEMAR) and operated by a mixed crew from Airbus Defence and Space and SEMAR/FAM (Mexican Air Force) today completed a month-long tour through Latin America demonstrating the aircraft’s extensive capabilities.
The tour included stops in Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Panama and Mexico. During its month on the continent the C295W covered around 46,000 kilometres in around 100 flight hours and was subjected to weather conditions ranging from the extreme cold of southern Argentina to the hot and high conditions of La Paz, Bolivia, with optimum performance at all times. The aircraft also performed the first flight ever by the C295 to Antarctica.
Airbus Defence and Space currently sold around 150 military transport aircraft to armed forces of 13 countries in the region: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Mexico, with 24 aircraft – including the new C295W – is the largest operator of Airbus Defence and Space military transport aircraft in Latin America, followed by Colombia and Brazil, with 18 and 12 aircraft respectively.
Chile was one of the first countries to place an order with the former company CASA (now part of Airbus Defence and Space) in 1978 and today has a fleet of 12 military transport aircraft produced by Airbus Defence and Space.
The Airbus Military C295 is a new generation, very robust and reliable, highly versatile tactical airlifter able to carry up to nine tonnes of payload or up to 71 personnel, at a maximum cruise speed of 260 kt /480 km/h. Fitted with a retractable landing gear and a pressurised cabin, it can cruise at altitudes up to 25,000 ft, while retaining remarkable short take-off & landing (STOL) performance from unprepared short, soft and rough airstrips, as well as low level flight characteristics.
Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G turboprop engines, the C295 provides an excellent manoeuvrability, outstanding hot and high performance, low fuel consumption and consequently a very long endurance of up to eleven hours in the air. First delivered in 2001, the C295 is a developed version of the well-known CN235, offering greater capacity and range.
The C295’s simple systems design and robustness, its proven in service reliability, its excellent flying qualities and great versatility, as well as its remarkable transport capabilities make it the most efficient “workhorse” with the lowest fuel burn, as well as the best operating and maintenance costs in its category.. The civil and military certification of the C295 ensures compliance with the international airworthiness regulations and safety standards, including the stringent FAR 25 requirements.
Now, with the new C295W version equipped with winglets, the aircraft is capable of transporting more payload over larger distances in the hot and high conditions typical of various countries included in this tour of the region, resulting in fuel savings of around 4% and increased safety margins in mountainous regions.
