CASA C-212 Aviocar

The CASA C-212 Aviocar is a <a href="/facts/Turboprop/t7c8rkCx">turboprop</a>-powered <a href="/facts/STOL/8eEcKYEz">STOL</a> medium <a href="/facts/Cargo_aircraft/5UTxmPsn">cargo aircraft</a> designed and built by <a href="/facts/Spain/bIyrB8EY">Spanish</a> aircraft manufacturer <a href="/facts/Construcciones_Aeron%25C3%25A1uticas_SA/z726esKI">Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA</a> (CASA). It is designed for use by both civil and military operators.
The C-212 was developed during the 1960s in response to the <a href="/facts/Spanish_Air_Force/Ho2MWHlh">Spanish Air Force</a>'s need to replace much of its transport aircraft fleet; it was designed to perform numerous missions, including <a href="/facts/Air_medical_services/3Ntut0Cu">air medical services</a>, <a href="/facts/Paratrooper/KJP4zTzs">paratrooper transport</a>, and utility roles. Three years after its <a href="/facts/Maiden_flight/LW569ILn">maiden flight</a> on 26 March 1971, an order was secured from the <a href="/facts/Spanish_Air_and_Space_Force/Ho2MWHlh">Spanish Air Force</a>. Several other customers emerged, initially from the military sector; but interest from civilian airliners also led CASA to develop a dedicated civil version of the C-212. Production of the type at the <a href="/facts/Seville/weWX4eIK">Seville</a> facility would continue for 40 years, with 485 aircraft produced there.
<a href="/facts/Indonesia/vQnWU3IW">Indonesia</a> emerged as a key early customer for the C-212. In 1975, Indonesian aircraft company <a href="/facts/IPTN/D9v11GdT">IPTN</a> successfully secured the rights to <a href="/facts/Licensed_production/Ux3VTUSI">license-produce</a> the aircraft in <a href="/facts/Bandung%2c_Indonesia/pruqBqva">Bandung, Indonesia</a>. CASA assisted in the establishment of a production line there; by 2000, it had constructed 95 NC-212s. The majority of Indonesian-built aircraft were sold to domestic customers, although some exports were also recorded in the <a href="/facts/Asia/4IToYrrQ">Asian</a> market. In February 2013, it was announced that <a href="/facts/Airbus/PSLf3cM8">Airbus</a> (the successor company to CASA) had agreed on terms with <a href="/facts/PT_Dirgantara_Indonesia/D9v11GdT">PTDI</a> (IPTN's successor) to fully transfer production of the C-212 to Indonesia. For a time, PTDI produced both the NC-212-200 and -400 upgrade. In 2014, PTDI stopped producing the -400 series to focus on the improved NC-212i model.
By December 2012, there were 92 operators of the C-212 around the world. These operators included numerous charter and short-haul aviation companies, as well as various national air services, which commonly used it for <a href="/facts/Cargo_aircraft/5UTxmPsn">transport</a>, <a href="/facts/Surveillance_aircraft/9ae9ulxs">surveillance</a>, and <a href="/facts/Search_and_rescue/pdLTUPgl">search and rescue</a>. The C-212 has been popular among <a href="/facts/Skydiving/ndWLLtmG">skydivers</a> and <a href="/facts/Smokejumpers/G95y3WLG">smokejumpers</a> due to a rear ramp arrangement that is uncommon amongst its competitors. In particular, Australian airline <a href="/facts/Skytraders/NouXQFRe">Skytraders</a> has used a number of C-212s to support Australian scientific research teams across <a href="/facts/Antarctica/bEM5Lem5">Antarctica</a> and the <a href="/facts/Southern_Ocean/F15W9ADT">Southern Ocean</a>.

CASA C-212 Aviocar open-in-new

CASA C-212 Aviocar