AIRCRAFT
This small regional airliner was evolved from a design by French company Max Holste, whose company on May 20, 1959, flew the prototype of a utility transport, known as the MH-250, powered by two Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial piston engines and based on a square-section fuselage. This was followed by the MH-260 with Bastan turboprops, flown on July 29, 1960. Ten MH-260s were built (for operation by Wideroes Flyveselskap and Air Inter) with the help of Nord Aviation.State-owned Nord (now merged into Aerospatiale) undertook further development of the basic design and produced the Nord 262, which differed from the MH-260 primarily in having a pressurized circular-section cabin large enough for 24-26 passengers. A prototype flew on Dec. 24, 1962, and was joined by three pre-production examples for the certification program. These four aircraft were known as Nord 262Bs, the definitive production version being the Nord 262A, with Bastan VIC engines. This was the principal commercial variant. It made its first flight July 8, 1964.
The Nord 262C and Nord 262D were evolved with Bastan VIIC engines. A re-engined airframe flew for the first time in July, 1968, and certification was obtained Dec. 24, 1970. Most sales, however, were in the military version as the Nord 262D to the French Armee de l'Air. The designation Mohawk 298 was adopted for a variant developed in the US, to allow the aircraft to perform more effectively under FAR 298 regulations that applied to regional or third-level airline operations.
Development was instigated in 1974 by Allegheny Airlines &emdash; which had acquired a fleet of Nord 262As when it took over Lake Central Airlines &emdash; the major new feature being the use of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45 turboprops in place of the Bastans. The modification program was managed by Mohawk Air Services, and the work undertaken by Frakes Aviation at Cleburne, Texas. In addition to the new engines, the nine aircraft received a Hamilton Standard air-conditioning system, an all-new Collins solid-state avionics system, new electrics and a revised cabin layout. The wingtips were new and increased the span slightly.
The first flight of a converted aircraft was made on Jan. 7, 1975. Production of the Nord 262 (also known later as the Aerospatiale 262), including those converted to Mohawk 298 standard, totaled 110. The Nord 262B was certificated on July 16, 1964, and entered service with Air Inter. The Nord 262A was certificated in March 1965, and entered service in August. The Nord 262C/D was certificated on Dec. 24, 1970.
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