CASA C212 Aviocar

Initially conceived as a light STOL transport for the Spanish air force, the CASA C212 has found a handy market niche and is highly regarded for its utility in underdeveloped regions. Designed to replace the Spanish air force's mixed transport fleet of Douglas C47 Dakotas, CASA Azors and Junkers Ju 52s still in service in the 1960s, the C212 was also developed with the intention of offering a civil variant. Design work began in the late 1960s, the first prototype made the type's first flight on March 26 1971. Preproduction examples followed, then the type entered air force service in 1974. The first commercial version was delivered in July 1975. The basic civil version was designated the C212C, the military version the C2125. Production of these models ceased in 1978, CASA switching to the Series 200 with more powerful engines and higher operating weights. The first Series 200, a converted C212C prototype, flew for the first time in its new configuration on April 30 1978. A third development of the Aviocar is the Series 300 which first flew in 1984 and was certificated in late 1987. Improvements to this model are newer engines and winglets. The latest development is the C212-400, which was launched at the 1997 Paris Airshow (after its first flight on April 4 that year). It features TPE331-12JR engines which maintain their power output to a higher altitude for improved hot and high performance and an EFIS flightdeck.

The backbone of this section is from the The International Directory of Civil Aircraft by Gerard Frawley and used with permission. To get your own copy of the book click here.