@ San Marco TX
June 2024
Spotted this Saab 340 twin-engine turboprop at the San Marcos Airport in Texas. The 340 was designed and initially produced by Saab AB and Fairchild Aircraft, but Fairchild later exited the aircraft manufacturing sector. Typically used as a regional airliner, this one is a freighter version operated by Berry Aviation. First flown in 1983, 459 would be delivered before production ended in 1999 and Saab later ceased all civil aircraft production in 2005. After entering the market, the Saab 340 became the top-selling commuter aircraft of its class. Saab employed much of its military expertise to this aircraft, utilizing design and manufacturing techniques such as the use of diffusion bonding on the aluminum structure to eliminate the use of rivets and associated weight.
