Aircraft overview
The ATR 72 is a twin-turboprop regional airliner with a high wing and a T-tail. It carries passengers on short routes between regional airports. The two large propellers and engines above the cabin line give it a very different appearance from a rear-engined regional jet.
The original ATR 72 first flew on 27 October 1988, and Finnair received the first aircraft in October 1989. The -500 generation followed in 1997 with American Eagle. The specifications below describe the -500; earlier and later versions have different configurations.
Photograph: Adrian Pingstone · 30 June 2006 · Photo source · Public domain
At a glance
ATR 72-500 · basic-weight configuration; the later specifications and engine options do not describe a particular aircraft’s 1998 fit
- Engines
- Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127F/M turbopropsApproved installations vary; the earlier ATR 72-201 uses PW124B engines.
- Length / wingspan
- 27.166 m / 27.050 mATR 72-500 three-view.
- Height
- 7.65 mIllustrated ground attitude.
- Example cabin
- 68 passenger seats31-inch seat pitch in the illustrated layout.
- Minimum flight crew
- Two pilotsCabin crew are additional.
- Basic maximum take-off / landing mass
- 22,000 kg / 21,850 kgBasic -500 limits; higher weight options have different limits.
- Propellers
- Six blades each · 3.93 m diameterHamilton Standard 568F family.
- Maximum cruise example
- 275 knots true airspeed95% maximum take-off mass, ISA atmosphere and optimum flight level.
In Air Defender
Role guidance · v0.8.16.0
Air Defender v0.8.16.0 lists the ATR 72 as a regional airliner, with a general family name and PW127 powerplant description. The earlier ATR 72-201 and its PW124B engines remain a different real-world configuration.
Compare the ERJ145 regional jet and use Aircraft Data with flight-plan information when investigating a contact. The aircraft type alone does not establish its identity.
Game catalogue values · v0.8.16.0
In-game specifications
These figures come from the game’s general aircraft reference. A matching civilian register entry can supply different fields in Aircraft Data. How to read the two layouts →
- Role
- Regional Airliner
- Category
- Regional Aircraft
- Service ceiling
- 25,000 ftA reference upper height. Read Flight Info for the contact’s present height.
- Maximum speed
- 276 knotsA reference maximum, not the speed the aircraft is flying now.
- Cruise speed
- 276 knotsA typical speed for the main part of a flight, not a guaranteed commanded speed.
- Stall speed
- 90 knotsA reference for specified conditions. Stalling means the wing loses lift, not that an engine stops.
- Typical crew
- 2
- Powerplant
- Twin turboprop engines (Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127) Compare engine types →
- Manufacturer
- ATR (France/Italy)
Use the right procedure
Civilian Aircraft Data
For a contact identified as ATR 72 (AT72), Aircraft Data can show this civilian entry instead of the general table above. Read the type code in the panel first: a different version of the aircraft can have different figures.
| Console field | Game reference value |
|---|---|
| ICAO type code | AT72 |
| Role | REGIONAL |
| Weight class | Light |
| Cruise speed | 275 knots |
| Maximum speed | 297 knots |
| Ceiling | 25,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,400 ft/min |
| Range | 890 NM |
| PAX | 68 |
PAX means the typical number of passengers in this reference. CARGO means the entry is shown as a freight aircraft; it is not a count of people aboard. Climb rate is the height gained each minute. Weight class groups aircraft by weight; it does not show today’s load.
These are reference figures, not the contact’s present speed, height, fuel or passenger count. How to open and read Aircraft Data → What the figures mean →
In depth
From the original ATR 72 to the -500
The -500 first flew on 19 January 1996, received French certification on 14 January 1997 and was first delivered to American Eagle on 31 July 1997. It was therefore part of the family by the game’s 1998 setting.
Turbine power and six-bladed propellers
A turboprop uses a gas turbine to drive a propeller. The -500 combines PW127-series engines with six-bladed propellers; the earlier -201 uses a different engine and propeller installation.
Passenger cabin and layout
The illustrated -500 cabin has 68 seats at 31-inch pitch, with baggage areas, a galley, a toilet and cabin-crew seating. Seat pitch measures the spacing between corresponding points on successive rows; it is not the seat’s width.
A 74-passenger configuration is also approved. The later 78-seat configuration is limited to -212A aircraft with the specified modifications.
Understanding the cruise figure
The 275-knot figure is true airspeed at 95% of maximum take-off mass, in the International Standard Atmosphere and at an optimum flight level. Atmospheric conditions, aircraft mass and flight level therefore belong with the number. It is not a guaranteed speed at every height.
Fuel and permitted mass
Normal refuelling with the fuel preselector provides 5,000 kg of usable fuel. The preselector sets the required quantity. Tank capacity does not reveal how much remains during a flight.
The basic -500 take-off and landing limits are 22,000 kg and 21,850 kg. Higher certified weight options exist, but their limits and associated loading figures must be kept together.
Variants
ATR 72-201
An earlier PW124B-powered model. Its baseline take-off mass is 21,500 kg; these engines and limits are separate from the -500 example.
ATR 72-500
The generation first delivered in 1997, with six-bladed propellers and PW127-series engines.
ATR 72-600
The later generation announced in 2007 and first delivered in 2011.
After 1998
2007–2011 · ATR 72-600
The -600 series was announced in October 2007. The ATR 72-600 first flew in July 2009, and Royal Air Maroc received the first aircraft in August 2011. These are later family developments.
References and further reading
ATR 72-500 layout, dimensions, propellers and conditional performance
Model distinctions, crew, fuel and certified modifications
Programme milestones and deliveries
- ATR · 40 Years of Making a Difference, 2021: first flights, certification and deliveries
- ATR · manufacturer history and aircraft milestones
- ATR · 1,000th ATR 72 delivery, 17 July 2018: Finnair, American Eagle and later -600 history