Business Aviation

In the late 1970s, Dornier GmbH developed a new kind of wing, the TNT (Tragflügel neuer Technologie), subsidized by the German Government. Dornier tested it on a modified Do 28D-2 Skyservant and with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-110 turboprop engines. Finally, Dornier changed the engine and tested the new aircraft, which was named Do 128 with two Garrett AiResearch TPE-331-5 engines. The company developed a new fuselage for the TNT and TPE 331–5 in two variants (15- and 19-passenger) and named both project-aircraft E-1 (later Do 228-100) and E-2 (later Do 228-200). At ILA '80, Dornier presented the new aircraft in public. Both the prototypes were flown on 28 March 1981 and 9 May 1981 for the first time.

After German certification was granted on 18 December 1981, the first Do 228 entered service in the fleet of Norving in July 1982. British and United States certification followed on 17 April and 11 May 1984 respectively. Over the years Dornier offered the 228 in upgraded variants and with special equipment for special missions. In 1998 the production line was stopped for better development of the successor Fairchild-Dornier 328.

A pair of Dornier of the Indian Navy

Do 228NG at ILA 2012

The Dornier 228NG was produced by RUAG Aviation and certified by EASA on 18 August 2010.[8] First delivery, to a Japanese customer, took place in September 2010. The main changes from the previous Dornier 228-212 model are a new 5-blade propeller made of composite material, more powerful engines and an advanced glass cockpit featuring electronic instrument displays.[9] In 2011, the Bangladesh Navy ordered 2 Do 228NG for the surveillance and search and rescue (SAR) mission. The aircraft are expected to be delivered in early 2013.