IAI Westwind

The Israel Aircraft Industries ( IAI ) Westwind is a business aircraft twin-jet aircraft designed with the the United States but produced during a score of years in Israel. Arranged in a standard way for transport of 7 passengers (more two pilots), it is transformed quickly into light cargo liner.

Development

Since 1954 the research department Aero Design & Engineering considered the feasibility of a business aircraft to reaction. But 1960 had to be waited until, year of exit of the small engine General Electric CJ-610 so that it becomes possible to produce a business aircraft to reaction using the same airports as the Aero Commander. In October 1960 Aero Design and Engineering Co becomes Aero Commander Inc, a subsidiary company of Rockwell Standard, and the financial capacity of the group Rockwell allowed Ted R. Smith to develop an ambitious program, the Model 1121 Jet To order, officially announced in May 1961. The first prototype took the air on January 2nd, 1963. The fuselage was that of the Model 680FLP Pressurized Grand To order, with smaller port-holes because of a rate of pressurization higher necessary to fly to more high-altitude, but the aerofoil entirely new, median and relatively short, is located behind cabin. The passengers thus enjoyed an excellent sight to the bottom and of a roomy fuselage, somewhat compensating for an autonomy appreciably lower than that of the majority of the competitors. The first production aircraft took the air on October 5th, 1964, final certification being obtained the next on November 4th and the deliveries began in 1965. Three versions of series were produced:

Aero To order 1121A Jet To order .
Aero To order 1121B Jet To order .
Aero To order 1122 Commodore .

The transfer in Israel

Confronted with problems of investment (Aero Commander Inc was simultaneously to put on the market two new planes, the Jet To order and the Turbo To order) and fault of support of the banks, Aero Commander Inc became in 1965 Division Aero Commander Rockwell Standard Corp. But this operation was going to have perverse effects of which the Jet To order was the first to make the expenses. The absorbtion successful of Aero To order and its most recent productions encouraged the group Rockwell to repurchase North American Aviation. Golds the Jet To order and the North American Sabreliner were competitor apparatuses and added up with them two practically half of the sales of jets of business. Under the terms of the legislation against the monopolies the US government could not accept fusion without one of the two apparatuses not being yielded. USAF had already bought a certain number of T-39 Sabreliner and insisted that this one is preserved in order to preserve a relatively heavy investment. North American producing only military aircrafts, to lose the contracts of USAF would have been more serious than to give up the market of the jets of business. North American Aviation and Rockwell International thus amalgamates in 1967 to form North American Rockwell, and programs it Jet To order , the tools and 49 cells in the course of production were yielded in 1968 to Israel Aircraft Industries.

IAI had still worked only for the needs for defense of Israel, but saw in the program Jet Ordering an occasion to penetrate the civil market and to collect currencies with an apparatus primarily intended to be exported. The production began in 1969, IAI producing initially IAI 1121 Commodore Jet. On the whole 150 apparatuses were produced by Rockwell and IAI, including one briefly used by the Heyl Ha' Avir in 1971.

New models

IAI 1123 Westwind

In September 1970 IAI made steal a prototype which was characterized only by the appearance of reserves in end of wing to improve autonomy and a fuselage lengthened to embark to 10 passengers. 36 specimens were built, of which one delivered to the Fuerza Aerea Hondurena in 1976 and used until 1992. 2 others were used by the Israeli military aviation between 1973 and 1998 and 2 by the Uganda between 1971 and 1976.

IAI 1124 Westwind I

New evolution of the basic apparatus, remotorized with Garrett AiResearch TFE731 which saved 10% of passable distance while reducing the distances from rolling to takeoff. The first apparatuses were delivered during the summer 1976 and designation Westwind I was adopted in 1981 per reference to the Westwind II . 1 specimen was bought by the Honduras in 1981. Affected with transport VIP, it was always stationed with Tegucigalpa in 2001 c/n 333.

IAI 1124N Sea Scan

In 1976, after an terrorist attack of the Savoy Hotel, with Tel Aviv, Israeli military aviation adoptz this apparatus like maritime reconnaissance aircraft, with a radar Litton APS-504 in the nose cone. Renamed Shachaf by the Heyl Ha' Avir, 3 specimens were delivered in 1977 to the 195 Tayeset of Lod. The project of replacement of these apparatuses by Beech 200 not having been accepted, they were the subject of a building site of modernization in 2001. An apparatus was also delivered to the Chilean Marine in 1986 and was reformed in 1988.

IAI 1124A Westwind II

Aerodynamic evolution of the precedent: aerofoil modified and equipped with winglets, but also many changes in interior installations. The first apparatuses were delivered in May 1980. The production of the Westwind ceased in 1987 with the profit of IAI 1125 Astra, 244 IAI 1124 Westwind having left factory.

Random links: