General Atomics New Aircraft

New Aircraft

INFO

Specification & Performance

General Atomics is a defense and diversified technologies company, founded in 1955 as a Division of General. GA and affiliated companies operate on five continents and include GA Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). GA-ASI produces a series of unmanned aircraft and provides various solutions to automated airborne surveillance systems. Other GA affiliates include General Atomics Europe GmbH with principal facilities in Germany and Australia.

General Atomics Europe GmbH, an affiliate of the diversified US group General Atomics, acquired the rights to the Dornier 228 from RUAG AG in 2021 and reviewed the program under a new setup called General Atomics Aerotec, operating at Oberpfaffenhofen Airport / Germany.

The Dornier 228 is the most versatile and advanced high-wing aircraft in its class. This is why authorities worldwide count on it when it comes to demanding special missions of various kinds. Key features are the long-range, high utilisation rates and high payload – at impressively low operational costs. Pilots know that there is hardly another aircraft combining state-of-the-art technology and efficiency in the way the Dornier 228 does.

Depending entirely on the individual customer needs, General Atomics Aerotec (GA-ATS) supplies the Dornier 228 as a special mission, commuter or cargo transportation aircraft.

The DO 228 NXT is a “flying flexibility”. The aircraft can be reconfigured quickly from passenger to cargo transporter or Medevac layout with minimum personnel.

Aircraft & Performance Features

- renowned short-field performance (STOL certified)

- renowned hot and high-performance

- unprepared airfield operations

- pax/cargo door swap in 15 seconds

- pax to cargo configuration change in about 1 hour by one person

Cargo Door

Pax Door

Unprepared Airfield Operation

Tensing Hillary Airport (9100 ft) Lukla Nepal

PAX Layout

A high standard of passenger comfort is the primary consideration in the DO 228 NXT design. The standard cabin consists of 19 individual passenger seats with a 2-0-in pitch and offers airline standard passenger comfort in single-seat configuration.

Ints rectangular cross-section is the ideal shape for utility applications and provides passengers with ample space at shoulder height, extra headroom, storage and cargo space. Passengers enter through a door with built-in steps on the LH side or the rear fuselage/ An 18-seat layout, with a toilet located aft of the cabin, is also available.

Cargo

Seats can be removed quickly to convert the cabin to cargo configuration. A massive opening for bulky or heavy cargo can be created by opening the normal passenger door sideways together with the adjacent door. Parcels and crates can be distributed quickly and easily inside the cabin using integrated roller systems. Smaller and lighter cargo items can be secured with nets, while bulky and heavier items stacked on pallets can be locked to the seat rails. The rectangular cabin with its 23 ft of useable length significantly eases the transportation of bulky cargo or longer goods. Whatever the cargo is, a total of 2 tons (512 cu ft) can be transported.

MedEvac

The ambulance equipment has been designed to cover different mission aspects. The complete equipment is sectionalized into separate specific modules, which enable a quick change, if required, to support the multi-purpose operation of the DO 228 NXT.

Following MedWevac hygienic requirements the cabin roof and walls of the DO 228 NXT are covered with polycarbonate lining with a washable surface and can be easily sanitized. The cabin floor is covered with a special washable, anti-skid coating to protect the aircraft's lower structure against fluid contamination.

The cabin can be equipped with various combinations of forward and side-facing seats and double stretchers as well as intensive care stations. The ambulance transport layout may be easily combined with trooper and paratrooper transport layouts.

Paratrooper

In this configuration 21 paratroopers and 1 jumpmaster can be transported (limited to 19 paratroopers under civil registration ) the paratrooper version is easily changeable to the trooper version by removing the anchor line cable and jump master equipment

The following equipment characterises the paratrooper version:

side-facing, lightweight fold-up troop seats
roller door with ladder
anchor line able
side wall protection

The DO 228 NXT is the platform of choice for special mission operations taking place between low-level altitudes and 15,000 ft 9certified up to 25,000 ft).

Military and government law enforcement organizations, as well as civil operators, use the DO 228 globally for maritime patrol (pollution control, search & rescues, border control, fishery patrol), research flights, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as light transport operations(cargo, paratrooper, passenger, MedEvac).

Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the Dutch Coast Guard

Pollution Control

Fishery Control

Paratrooper

MedEvac

Cargo Loading

Mission

DO 228 NXT - The Multirole Platform

The DO 228 NXT is the most advanced aircraft in its class, offering unsurpassed effectiveness and efficiency with superb versatility. This is why authorities all over the world count on it when it comes to challenging special missions of various kinds.

Key features are the long-range, high utilization rates and high payload, -all at impressive low operating costs. With the aircraft's state-of-the-art technology, pilots are able to maintain superior situational awareness throughout the most demanding missions. No other plane in this class combines safety and efficiency to the level offered by the DO 228 NXT.

Operational Advantages