Hohn Air Base is a military air base in Germany . It was home to the Lufttransportgeschwader 63 (LTG 63 for short, Air Transport Wing 63 in English) of the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe ).
45-604: Since May 1968, the Transall C-160 has been operated from the base. During 2013 Air Transport Wing 63 was disbanded and subsequently it was announced that the air base would be given up by the German Air Force. However, they announced in 2019 the airfield would be kept open as a diversion facility for air bases in Northern Germany. On the airfield it is a part of the major maneuver from June 12 to June 23, 2023, held under
90-448: A contract was signed for 160 C-160s (110 for Germany and 50 for France) on 24 September 1964. Manufacturing work was split between Germany and France in line with the number of orders placed; Nord built the wings and engine nacelles, VFW the centre fuselage and horizontal tail, and HFB the forward and rear fuselage. The aircraft's tail fin was to be built by Dornier . Three production lines were set up to assemble these components at each of
135-506: A final conversion, two aircraft were furnished for SIGINT electronic surveillance, designated C-160G Gabriel , replacing the Noratlases that had been in this role previously. In routine operations, the C-160Gs would often supplement France's Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft. In 1991, a SIGINT-equipped C-160G was deployed as part of France's contribution to Coalition forces during and after
180-768: A regular detachment of C-160s was also dispatched in support of the multinational International Security Assistance Force presence in the Afghanistan . Both French and German C-160s were used in supporting Operation Serval , the French-led intervention in the Northern Mali conflict . For either humanitarian or military purposes, C-160s have conducted extensive operations in a number of nations, including Mauritania , Niger , Chad , Ethiopia , Bosnia , and Lebanon . Starting in 1984 onwards, German airframes underwent LEDA I and LEDA II life extension measures, which were focused on
225-399: Is a twin-engine tactical transport featuring a cargo hold, a rear-access ramp beneath an upswept tail, a high-mounted wing and turboprop engines. The C-160 is designed to perform cargo and troop transport duties, aerial delivery of supplies and equipment and is designed to be compatible with international railway loading gauges to simplify cargo logistics and loading. In flight the cargo area
270-471: Is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprop engines, which drive a pair of four-bladed Dowty Rotol propellers. Advantages of the twin-engine configuration over four include reduced unit and production cost, lower weight and fuel consumption, simplified design and reliability. Each engine is equipped with an auxiliary generator system, providing the aircraft with both electricity and hydraulic pressure. An auxiliary power unit ( General Electric CJ610 )
315-451: Is pressurised and kept at a constant temperature by integrated air conditioning systems. Additionally, the landing gear can be partially retracted while on the ground. This lowers the C-160, making it easier to move vehicles into the hold as they don't need to climb a ramp. One aspect of the C-160 that made the type well suited to tactical operations is its short airfield performance, including
360-405: Is used to power the aircraft while on the ground, and for rare use in mid-air emergencies. An updated second generation of the C-160 was produced during the 1980s. Amongst changes made, the new variant was equipped with additional fuel tankage, aerial refuelling probes and enhanced avionics. While there were considerable changes to instrumentation, including the navigational and autopilot systems,
405-670: The Battle of Britain . It was later developed into a nightfighter to counter the RAF bomber offensive. Dornier developed the similar looking Do 217 from the Do 17 but it was a larger and completely new design. Dornier also developed the fastest piston-engined fighter of the war, the twin-engined Do 335 , which was too late to see service. After WWII, aircraft production was again forbidden in Germany, and Dornier relocated to Spain and then to Switzerland where
450-662: The Dornier S lithotripter , HM3, Compact Delta to treat kidney stones . Dornier MedTech also manufactures laser devices for a wide range of applications. The Dornier family have a spin-off company and project, the Dornier Seastar . It is a turboprop-powered amphibious aircraft built largely of composite materials. This was developed by Claudius Dornier Jr. [ de ] , and later by his son Cornado by Dornier Seawings. Claude's grandson, Iren Dornier [ de ] , founded Dornier Technologie in 1996 to manufacture
495-621: The Dornier S-Ray 007 . (Does not include designations for aircraft built while Dornier was with Zeppelin-Lindau ) Additional unbuilt projects include 3 different Schneider Trophy racers from 1924, 1928 and 1931 and a large multi-engine seaplane similar to the Do X with engines buried in the wings. Dornier GmbH built the Faint Object Camera for the Hubble Space Telescope , which was used from 1990 to 2002. The ESA funded
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#1732851697307540-542: The Gulf War to support a no-fly zone and embargoing of Iraq . C-160s were in continuous use to support French bases in sub-Saharan Africa; the tanker variants also proved valuable in supporting African operations. The C-160 fleet was the staple of the French military airlift capability for many years, supplemented by small numbers of McDonnell Douglas DC-8s , CASA/IPTN CN-235 and Lockheed C-130 Hercules as of 1990. During
585-569: The South African Border War during the late 1980s, the South African Air Force's C-160s were vital for deploying and supplying troops in the border region and into positions in southern Angola due to the otherwise-impassable terrain. The importance of airpower in the war led to a great deal of the fighting being centred upon remote airstrips, both sides trying to gain or deny the same advantageous positions and place stress upon
630-733: The Treaty of Versailles : locations included Altenrhein , Switzerland , 12 km from Zeppelin's Lindau (Bodensee) location. Foreign factories licence-building Dornier products included CMASA and Piaggio in Italy , CASA in Spain , Kawasaki in Japan , and Aviolanda in the Netherlands . Once the Nazi government came to power and abandoned the treaty's restrictions, Dornier resumed production in Germany. The success of
675-587: The F and NG aircraft operated in French air forces have been converted to the last upgraded C-160R standard. Last aircraft retired in May 2022. Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83 General characteristics Performance Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Dornier Flugzeugwerke Dornier Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in Friedrichshafen in 1914 by Claude Dornier . Over
720-600: The French Air Force introduced the C-160G Gabriel variant, a SIGINT aircraft easily to distinguish because of the antennas fitted to the aircraft. Until the early 2000s, also the C-160H Astarte was used, while Astarté (Avion Station Relais de Transmissions Exceptionelles), meaning "airborne relay station for special transmissions", was used for communication with submerged French nuclear submarines. Since 1999, all
765-411: The French Air Force ordered an updated version designated C-160NG , for Nouvelle Génération ("New Generation"). From 1981, 29 of these aircraft were delivered, half of them configured as tanker aircraft for aerial refuelling . Another four were configured as C-160H Astarté TACAMO aircraft for communication with submerged submarines , a vital component of France's nuclear deterrent system. In
810-625: The French Defence Ministry announced a modernisation of the C-160 fleet, enabling it to continue in service until 2018 if required. In late 2011, it was announced that Germany's Transall fleet had accumulated a combined total of one million flight hours. As of 2012 , the global C-160 fleet was approaching the end of its service life; all South African C-160s have already been retired, while the Turkish Air Force continued to operate 20 aircraft obtained from Germany ( C-160T ). To replace
855-545: The German companies Weser Flugzeugbau (which became Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) in 1964) and Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB) to design and build the new transport. The new aircraft was required to carry a 16,000 kilograms (35,000 lb) cargo over a range of 1,720 kilometres (930 nmi; 1,070 mi) or a load of 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) over a range of 4,540 km (2,450 nmi; 2,820 mi) and be able to operate out of semi-prepared airstrips. One prototype
900-568: The South African aircraft were all built by Nord. From 1981 on, some new C-160 reached the wings of Armee de l'Air. The now C-160NG (Nouvelle Generation, New Generation) called aircraft has a fifth fuel tank in the middle of the wing above the fuselage, a refueling probe while the left side cargo door was removed. Some first-production series C-160F were fitted with the NG-versions changes and renamed C-160R (Renové). Beside these changes, in 1989,
945-584: The Transall's self-protection suite. The last German Transall wing was disbanded in December 2021. The initial production run of 169 aircraft were built by the three companies in France and Germany; Nord built 56 aircraft, VFW built 57 aircraft and HFB/MBB 56 (HFB became part of Messerchmitt-Bolkow-Blohm in 1969 during the production run). All three production lines produced a mixture of aircraft for France and Germany but
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#1732851697307990-472: The Transall, the German, French and South African Air Forces ordered 60, 50 and eight Airbus A400Ms , respectively; the South African order was later cancelled. In 2015, it was announced that the retirement of Germany's Transall fleet had been pushed back from 2018 to 2021 due to delays with the Airbus A400M; until 2021, a decreasing number of aircraft shall remain in service to perform missions that require
1035-521: The Turkish armed forces in 1971, these aircraft provided great amount of lift during the operation. In April 1976, the French Air Force used 12 C-160s in support of Operation Verveine , airlifting Moroccan troops and equipment to Zaïre during a border conflict with Angola . In May 1978, several C-160s dropped paratroopers of the French Foreign Legion during the Battle of Kolwezi . In 1977,
1080-516: The Wal family encouraged the development of derivatives, and of more advanced successors, such as the Do 18 , and Do 24 which saw service in several armed forces, including German, into World War II . Dornier's most important World War II military aircraft design was the Do 17 , nicknamed The Flying Pencil . It first flew in 1934 as a mailplane for Lufthansa but due to its narrow fuselage (hence its nickname) it
1125-433: The ability to perform steep descents of up to 20 degrees and perform landings on airstrips as short as 400 meters. In the airlift role, a later production C-160 could carry up to 8.5 tons across a distance of 5,000 kilometers, and take off from airstrips as short as 700 meters. Dependent upon aircraft configuration, a single aircraft could airdrop as many as 88 paratroopers or transport up to 93 equipped troops. The C-160
1170-508: The aircraft for the Asian market. By 2013 a total of 117 Dornier 228 aircraft had been produced by HAL with plans to build 20 more during 2013-14. Pushpindar Singh Chopra was the agent of Dornier to India during this contract. In 1985, Dornier became a member of the Daimler-Benz group, integrating its aeronautic assets with the parent company. As part of this transaction, Lindauer Dornier GmbH
1215-506: The aircraft's operating lifespan up to and if necessary beyond 55 years to 2018. In 2003–2004, Germany signed separate contracts with Terma A/S and Northrop Grumman to upgrade the aircraft's electronic warfare self-protection and missile approach warning systems . In July 1974, the Turkish Air Force used 7 C-160Ds during the invasion of Cyprus , to transport troops, drop paratroopers and carry supplies. Having entered service with
1260-507: The course of its long lifespan, the company produced many designs for both the civil and military markets. Originally Dornier Metallbau , Dornier Flugzeugwerke took over Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen production facilities ( Weingarten , Warnemünde , and the former Zeppelin shed at Manzell ) when it failed in 1923. Dornier was well known between the two world wars as a manufacturer of large, all-metal flying boats and of land based airliners. The record-breaking 1924 Wal (English: Whale )
1305-470: The development of a Noratlas successor on 28 November 1957. The Italian government also became involved in the project early on to meet their own requirements, however Italy's participation in the fledgling program was soon terminated in favour of the smaller and locally-built Fiat G.222 . The consortium, "Transporter-Allianz" or Transall, was formed in January 1959 between the French company Nord Aviation and
1350-475: The firm provided aeronautical consultancy services until returning to Germany in 1954. Post-war, Dornier re-established itself with successful STOL Do 27 and Do 28 utility planes . In 1974 it joined a joint venture with French aircraft manufacturers Dassault-Breguet to develop the Alpha Jet . In 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) acquired a production licence for the Dornier 228 and manufactured
1395-431: The late 1950s, a requirement arose to replace the piston-engined Nord Noratlas transports operated by the air forces of both France ( Armée de l'Air ) and Germany ( Luftwaffe ). Keen to encourage industrial co-operation between the two countries, as had happened under a previous arrangement in which Noratlases for German service had been built under license by Weser Flugzeugbau , France and Germany signed an agreement for
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1440-486: The leadership of the German Air Force Air Defender 23 it is the greatest exercise of air forces since NATO was announced. This article about an airport in Germany is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Transall C-160 The Transall C-160 is a military transport aircraft , produced as a joint venture between France and Germany . " Transall " is a German abbreviation of
1485-463: The manufacturing consortium Transporter Allianz , comprising the companies of MBB , Aerospatiale , and VFW-Fokker . It was initially developed to meet the requirements for a modern transport aircraft for the French and German Air Forces ; export sales were also made to South Africa and to Turkey , as well as a small number to civilian operators. The C-160 remains in service more than 60 years after
1530-778: The new variant was split 50-50 between Aérospatiale (the successor to Nord) and MBB (which had absorbed VFW and HFB), with a single assembly line in Toulouse . The cargo loading door on the port side of the fuselage was replaced by provision for additional fuel tanks in the wing centre section. When fitted these tanks increased fuel capacity from 19,000 litres (4,190 imp gal) to 28,000 litres (6,170 imp gal). The aircraft were also fitted with updated avionics. The first second generation C-160 took flight in 1981. Aircraft produced in this batch included 29 for France (an additional four non-standard aircraft were constructed for special missions), and 6 for Indonesia. The Transall C-160
1575-592: The opposing force's logistical efforts. In one particular mission, a C-160 was used to move a captured SA-8 from Angola to South Africa. The C-160 was chosen for this task over the C-130 because of its larger cargo hold and its ability to lower its hull while on the ground, which facilitated the loading of the heavy vehicle. The C-160 has been a prominent component of several other international efforts. Germany's C-160 fleet has been used to support peacekeeping efforts in Sudan ,
1620-451: The second generation C-160 retained the original operating characteristics to simplify crew transfers between types. The second generation C-160s were also designed for potential adaptation to other roles such as maritime patrol and aerial fire fighting. The C-160 proved to be a versatile aircraft, leading to a long operational service life. Between its introduction and 1999, approximately 2000 modifications and upgrades were incorporated upon
1665-665: The three main partners. The first production airframes were delivered to France and Germany from 1967. The first batch included 110 C-160D s for the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe ), 50 C-160F s for the French Air Force , and nine C-160Z s for the South African Air Force . Four C-160Fs were converted to C-160P air mail transport aircraft, and were operated by Air France . Production continued until October 1972. In July 1977, France placed an order for 25 aircraft to be built to an improved standard. Production work for
1710-542: The type's first flight in 1963. It has provided logistical support to overseas operations and has served in specialist roles such as an aerial refueling tanker, electronic intelligence gathering, and as a communications platform. The C-160 is replaced in French and German service by the Airbus A400M Atlas , and a small number of Lockheed-Martin C-130J Super Hercules operated in a multinational unit. In
1755-547: The type, split 60/40 between the structure and equipment respectively. Many changes were made over time in regards to the aircraft's avionics, incorporating new features such as GPS and laser inertial navigation systems, modern autopilot and crew management systems. Other improvements and additions to the type include kevlar armour, electronic warfare management systems, chaff/flare dispensers, missile approach warning systems and TCAS collision warning system. Extensive efforts have been made by both France and Germany to extend
1800-518: The wings. Subsequent programs carried out in the 1990s, such as LEDA III, concentrated on the whole structure of the aircraft; raising the airframe life from 8,000 flights to 12,000 flights, and introducing new avionics systems such as a self-defence system and a replacement flight management system. From 1994 to 1999, all French C-160s underwent an avionics upgrade and the addition of new anti-missile countermeasures. The C-160Fs and NGs so updated were redesignated C-160R ( Renové —"renovated"). In 2009,
1845-562: Was acquired by US company Avcraft . Asian groups continued to show interest in its 728 version in August 2004, but production was not restarted. Dornier 228 production was taken over by Swiss manufacturer RUAG , who then sold it off to General Atomics in 2020. Other subsidiaries became part of the EADS . The medtech division was sold to an investment company and now bears the name Dornier MedTech . Dornier Medtech manufactures medical equipment, such as
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1890-538: Was built by each of the production partners, with the first (built by Nord) flying on 25 February 1963, with the VFW and HFB-built prototypes following on 25 May 1963 and 19 February 1964. These were followed by six pre-production examples, stretched by 51 centimetres (20 in) compared with the prototypes, which flew between 1965 and 1966. Production orders were delayed by attempts by Lockheed to sell its C-130 Hercules transport to Germany; these attempts were rebuffed, and
1935-602: Was not commercially viable and was passed over. Dornier then developed it further as a military aircraft, with a prototype bomber flying in 1935, and in 1937 it was used in by the German Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War . Production continued in Germany and it was developed to fill multiple roles for the Luftwaffe . As a medium bomber it saw service during the early part of World War II , particularly during
1980-404: Was spun off, creating a separate, family-owned firm, concentrating on textile machinery design and manufacturing. The rest of the company was split into several subsidiaries for defence, satellites, medtech and aircraft. In 1996, the majority of Dornier Aircraft was acquired by Fairchild Aircraft , forming Fairchild Dornier . This company became insolvent in early 2002. Production of its 328 Jet
2025-467: Was used on many long distance flights and the Do X set records for its immense size and weight. Dornier's successful landplane airliners, including the Komet ( Comet ) and Merkur ( Mercury ), were used by Lufthansa and other European carriers during the 1920s and early 30s. Dornier built its aircraft outside Germany during much of this period due to the restrictions placed on German aircraft manufacturers by
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