"Roll back to the drawing board" was eliminated from the aircraft scheme 336
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Ayers LM200 Loader Master possible military version model
Business opportunities and new freighters
Ayers LM200 Loader Master Model
For many years, the design and manufacture of purpose-built air freighters was considered an extremely risky venture, and most of the commercial freighters currently in service were spin-offs of older and less expensive airliners. This article is an example of how companies once thought they could take advantage of emerging technologies and seize market advantages, but many of them failed.
Ayres company logo
In 1977, Ayres Corporation acquired Rockwell International's Albany, Georgia division, along with its entire production line and patents for the production of the S2R Thrush Commander agricultural aircraft, a company founded by Fred Ayres as a distributor of the S2R and later into the aerospace industry, began developing a series of improved S2 models. Including the turbine thrush, which switched to a turboprop engine, etc. After the successful sales and promotion of the thrush series, the company gained enough capital to enter the general aviation market.
S2R Thrush Commander
Ayres began designing a single-engine turboprop utility aircraft called the Bushmaster in the 1980s, which had the tail and wings of the company's turbo thrush. Unfortunately, the recession of the early 1980s and the hot sales of the Cessna Caravan disrupted Ayers' Bushmaster plan, which looked almost identical to the Caravan. Ayres decided to focus on diversifying its product line and began manufacturing parts for McDonnell Douglas' helicopters and FedEx's custom version of the Boeing 727 cargo door.
Ayers LM200 Loader Master Commuter Edition
It was at this time that FedEx partnered with Ayers. FedEx planned to use vans and other ground vehicles to transport packages between small towns to regional airports, where its planes could deliver goods to parcel sorting centers in Memphis. Therefore, a turboprop-specific cargo aircraft with a range of less than 500 miles was needed. In 1982, FedEx studied the BAE 748, the Fokker F27, the Marchetti Canguro, the Casa 212, the Piper T-1040 and the PBN Islander. But the payload capacity of these aircraft is too expensive for courier companies, and those that are cheap enough are difficult to meet loading and unloading requirements.
FedEx's Cessna 208 Caravan
FedEx F27
In 1985, FedEx announced a partnership with Cessna to use the C-208 Caravan Cargo Aircraft in its "feeder" fleet, but soon after, FedEx began looking for a new turboprop larger than the Caravan. Subsequently, the Fokker F27 was purchased, but as with previous predictions, the F27 was on the high side of the operating costs. FedEx needs an aircraft between the 208 and the F27. FedEx has two main criteria for new aircraft: 1) Capacity: It must be able to carry containerized cargo (i.e., standard AYY or LD3 containers) and must allow single-pilot operation under FAR Part 135 to reduce operating costs. At this stage, the company considered a series of aircraft such as the Harbin Y-12, the Russian Antonov An-38 and the Czech LET 410/610/710, but they did not meet the requirements.
Ayers LM200 Loader Master Model
FedEx Wings
FedEx livery
Ayres began designing a possible general-purpose aircraft for FedEx's requirements in the early 1990s and made modifications to his Bushmaster turboprop. But FedEx says they don't need another caravan, but a bigger plane. Ayers decided to increase the size of the aircraft and its payload, with a total weight of 12,500 pounds, which is the FAA's maximum allowable weight for a single-engine aircraft. FedEx was still not satisfied and wanted an aircraft large enough to carry its standard cargo containers. Despite regulatory requirements, Ayres pushed the design up to 19,000 pounds. And work with FedEx to persuade the regulator to change the policy.
Ultimately, the FAA was reluctant to abandon its basic policy on maximum weight for single-engine aircraft, especially after a series of commuter accidents in the early to mid-1990s. Ayers then offered the FAA a a compromise design that included two engines, but a propeller that was driven together through a gearbox to bypass the limitations of a single engine.
Comparison of the volume of the Loading Master, Schott 330 and Cessna Caravan
Ayres will then submit a type approval application for the twin-engine, single-propeller Loadmaster to the FAA in February 2001. Powerplant changes seriously affected aircraft design. The propeller diameter needs to be enlarged to produce more thrust. As the diameter increases, the propulsion unit must be located on the fuselage higher above the ground. This resulted in the cockpit being moved higher and the fuselage as simple as possible to reduce weight, while still accommodating the LD3 flagged flight case.
The Loading Master is an upper monoplane with more lift. Its increased thick chord ratio (20%) gives the aircraft a deep spar, eliminates struts, and reduces aircraft weight. The aircraft has a stall speed of 70 kts and a maximum of 205 kts. Allows the aircraft to operate on short runways while cruising at sufficient speed. The aircraft is expected to land on a 50-foot obstacle runway at 1,745 feet and take off at 1,525 feet, allowing the aircraft to use almost all paved runways in the United States.
Fred Ayers holding a model of a Loading Master at the 1996 NBAA
The freighter will have front and rear cargo doors on the standard model. Ayers plans a future variant of the LM200 with a clamshell-style rear cargo door to accommodate a "pickup truck or minivan." Ayers' plan is to build two prototypes for $25 million to certify the aircraft. In December 1996, Ayres announced at the NBAA Show in Orlando, Florida, that the company had signed an agreement with FedEx for 50 LM200 aircraft, with an option to purchase an additional 200 aircraft over a 15-year period, with first deliveries beginning in December 1999. The company plans to conduct a 30-month certification program, which is expected to begin in mid-1997. The first prototype is expected to fly at the end of 1998.
Cabin layout
Ayres envisioned other roles for the plane. For example, in the extended and commuter versions, he predicts that foreign countries in remote areas will be interested in such aircraft as a low-cost maritime patrol aircraft or bomber. Ayers did not negotiate with any other group interested in the Loader, but he considered the "world" to be his market, as no other manufacturer had any aircraft that could compete directly with the Loader Master.
Engine mounting location
Died of financial crisis
In September 1998, Ayers acquired the Czech Republic-based LET aircraft manufacturing company in order to build larger wings and tails, a decision that would have a series of domino ripple effects that could not have been predicted at the time. In May 1999, FedEx converted 25 optional orders from Loader to firm orders, bringing the order to 75 confirmed and 175 optional. FedEx plans to deliver twice a month. The fuselage of the loading master was about 8 months away from completion, and engineering problems with the gearbox and LHTEC engine began to be solved.
Airframe under construction
motor
At this time, the first piece of dominoes fell, and the agreement of Konsolidacni Bank (KoB), the largest creditor of LET, was about to expire, and Ayers tried to save LET by working with companies such as Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and BAE, but negotiations failed, and Ayers himself did not have enough funds to bail out LET, and in October 2000, KoB finally declared Let's bankrupt, and the production line was forced to close More than 1,400 employees were fired.
By this time, Ayers himself was in debt crisis, and in September 2000, he began seeking additional financing and additional partners to complete the development of the delayed Loadmaster, and the loss of the company's finances became inescapable. In late November 2000, Ayres filed for bankruptcy protection. At this time, a financing company, GATX Capital, provided partial financial assistance, as FedEx still supports loading master orders.
But then FedEx squeezed its fleet expansion due to a weak market, and after analyzing Ayers' financial problems and projected financial difficulties, FedEx terminated its commitment to the Loader Program and even forwent the $9 million deposit it had already paid to Ayers. In August 2001, Ayers' thrush line and unfinished Loader interests were auctioned off in bankruptcy, and Thrush had three competing offers, but none of the loaders offered.
Overwater version
In 2002, FedEx chose Continental's retired ATR42 as a replacement for the Loading Master. The rights to the Loading Master were eventually sold to Canadian businessman Adam Sanford to build half of the prototype, which is now in an abandoned state. @nordland Today's headlines original debut
Abandoned prototypes
Technical parameters
Size:
[翼展].............................. 19.5 m
[长度].................................. 21.03 m
[高度]................................... 6.86 m
[机舱高度]........................... 2.39 m
[Maximum cabin width]............... 2.53 m
[Main cargo volume (flat plate)].... 38.23 cubic meters (1350 ft3)
Weight:
[empty]................................. 4082 kg
[Maximum payload]................... 3946 kg
[Maximum Fuel]........................ 1823 kg (600 gallons) [
Maximum take-off weight]....... 8618 kg
Power plant:
One (1) Allied Signal/Allison CTP800-4T {Two (2) CTP800 turboshaft engines with a combination gearbox developed by GKN Westland drive one (1) 4-blade Hamilton standard propeller with a diameter of 13 feet.
Performance:
[Maximum cruise speed]..... 363 km/h (196 KTAS) @ 10,000 feet
Normal cruising speed.... 305 km/h (165 KTAS) @ 10,000 feet