Spanish Air Force designation: T.21

TYPE: Twin-turboprop transport.

PROGRAMME: Stretched derivative of Airtech CN-235M. Initiated November 1996, after market survey, as unilateral development of CASA/IPTN CN-235. Announced at Paris Air Show, June 1997. Prototype (EC-295 Ciudad de Getafe), a converted CN-235, flew for first time 28 November 1997 and had accumulated 801 hours in 379 sorties and 555 landings by 17 December 1999. First production C-295 (EC-296 Ciudad de Sevilla), designated S-1, made its maiden flight on 22 December 1998; had flown 516 hours in 232 sorties and 379 landings by 17 December 1999.
Certified by INTA (for military operations) on 30 November 1999; DGAC certification received 3 December 1999 and FAA (FAR Pt 25) certification on 17 December 1999; first customer aircraft (XT.21-02) demonstrated at Paris in June 2001.

CURRENT VERSIONS: C-295M: Military version; as described. Ordered by Brazilian Air Force (12 for CL-X requirement) and Royal Jordanian Air Force (two).
C-295MPA/ASW Persuader: Maritime patrol and anti-submarine version; equipped with CASA Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) mission suite. Ordered by UAE (four).

CUSTOMERS: Spanish Air Force order for nine announced 30 April 1999 (launch customer) and contract signed January 2000; deliveries began with handover of first (second production) aircraft, T.21-02 '35-40', to No. 35 Wing at Getafe on 15 November 2001; six delivered by October 2002 and scheduled to be completed in 2004. Selected by Swiss Air Force in December 2000 (two C-295M: contract signature still awaited in mid-2003). Order for four FITS-equipped C-295MPA/ASW by UAE (Abu Dhabi) announced in March 2001, to meet its Shaheen 1 requirement. Polish Air Force ordered eight C-295M (plus four on option) on 28 August 2001 to replace An-26s of 13th Transport Squadron; delivery from 15 August 2003 to end of 2005. Jordanian order, announced 12 February 2003, to be delivered later same year (two C-295Ms). Brazilian order for 12 C-295Ms announced 4 November 2002, to replace obsolete C-115 Buffalos; deliveries from 2004.

COSTS: Four-aircraft order by UAE reportedly valued at US$140 million (2001). Eight for Poland cost US$212 million (2001); 12 for Brazil approximately US$270 million (2002); two for Jordan US$45 million (2003).

DESIGN FEATURES: Typical rear-loading, high-wing military transport. Conforms to FAR Pt 25 and MIL-STD-7700C. Compared with CN-235, has fuselage lengthened by six frames (three forward and three aft of wing); wing reinforced for higher operating weights and to support up to six optional underwing stores stations; additional 1,450 litres (383 US gallons; 319 Imp gallons) of fuel in wings; reinforced landing gear with twin nosewheels to facilitate operation from unprepared airstrips; modernised avionics identical to those of CN-235 Srs 300.

STRUCTURE: Provision for three hardpoints under each wing, capacities 800 kg (1,764 lb) inboard, 500 kg (1,102 lb) centre and 300 kg (661 lb) outboard.

LANDING GEAR: Main gear as CN-235 but reinforced for higher operating weights; twin nosewheels. Designed for sink rate of 3.05 (10 ft)/s at normal MTOW and 2.74 m (9 ft)/s at overload MTOW; and operation from semi-prepared runways down to CBR-2 category.

POWER PLANT: Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G turboprops, each with T-O rating of 1,972 kW (2,645 shp) normal, 2,177 kW (2,920 shp) with APR. Hamilton Sundstrand HS-568F-5 six-blade composites propellers with autofeathering and synchrophasing. Fuel capacity 7,650 litres (2,021 US gallons; 1,683 Imp gallons). Optional in-flight refuelling probe on starboard side of flight deck.

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of two; dual controls standard. Two or three longitudinal rows of foldaway seats in main cabin of C-295M for 73 troops; 48 paratroops (each 130 kg; 287 lb with full equipment); as a 12-stretcher intensive care unit or, in medevac configuration, 27 stretchers and four medical personnel. Lavatory, at front on port side, standard. In cargo role, can accommodate up to five 2.24 x 2.74 m (88 x 108 in) pallets, including one on rear ramp/door; or one 88 x 108 in and three 2.24 x 3.18 m (88 x 125 in) pallets; or three Land Rover-type light vehicles. Paratroop door each side at rear of cabin. Crew door aft of flight deck on starboard side, with emergency exit opposite on port side.
Persuader version accommodates, in addition to flight deck crew, two (MPA) or four (ASW) mission sensor operators, at identical, universal and configurable consoles; two observers at bubble windows in rear of cabin; radar repeater added to flight deck; galley, lavatory, and rest area equipped with commuter seats.

SYSTEMS: Pressure differential 0.38 bar (5.58 lb/sq in), giving cabin atmosphere equivalent to 2,354 m (7,723 ft) at altitude of 7,620 m (25,000 ft).

AVIONICS: All-digital, and compatible with NVGs. Thales (Sextant) Topdeck displays standard. Thales is overall systems integrator.
Comms: Two Thales (Sextant) U/VHF-AM/FM and one HF radio; Honeywell IFF transponder and solid-state FDR; ELT; air data system. Honeywell solid-state CVR. Alternative com/nav/ident functions optional.
Radar: Honeywell RDR-1400C colour weather radar with search and beacon models and ground mapping vertical navigation capability.
Flight: Four-dimensional FMS; dual ADU 3008 air data units; dual AHRS; dual multimode receivers; dual GPS receivers; dual multifunction control and display units; Honeywell enhanced GPWS. Two central data processor/interface units and standard digital busses (ARINC 429 and MIL-STD-1553B). Options include Thales (Sextant) Totem 3000 laser gyro navigation system, enhanced TCAS, Cat. II ILS, MLS and satcom.
Instrumentation: Four 152 x 203 mm (6 x 8 in) Thales (Sextant) LCDs; one integrated electronic standby instrument; two IFC cabinets with autopilot module; radar altimeter. Video images from E-O sensors such as FLIR or cameras can be displayed on the four LCDs. Full NVG compatibility. Provision for two Thales (Sextant) HUDs.
Mission: CASA FITS suite for Persuader versions includes a central (and optionally redundant) real-time tactical processor; four identical multifunctional consoles, interconnected via a local area network, each with its own RISC processor identical to the tactical processor; a 51 cm (20 in) high-resolution LCD; two touchscreens; and a keyboard and trackball; plus such peripherals as a pilot's presentation screen, recording and data loading units, and an armament and sonobuoy management panel.
Self-defence: Self-protection suite optional for C-295 ASW.

EQUIPMENT (Persuader): Sonobuoy or flare and marker launcher, survival kit and raft launcher in rear ramp; externally mounted searchlight.

ARMAMENT (Persuader): Three hardpoints under each wing (capacities 800, 500 and 300 kg; 1,764, 1,102 and 661 lb) for torpedoes, ASMs or depth charges.