Aontan class liner
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Aontan
Aontan class flying liner
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| Flying-Boat | |||||
| File:Aontanclass1.png | |||||
| The liner Sanctum in service with the Laveskan Great lakes ferry corporation | |||||
| Role | Passenger transport | ||||
| National Origin | Sahr | ||||
| Production History | |||||
| Produced | |||||
| 2134 - 2139 | |||||
| Designer | Klensagrad Stahlduga | ||||
| Unit Cost | 104,825(√) | ||||
| Number Built | 7 | ||||
| Service History | |||||
| In Service | |||||
| 2134 - 2172 | |||||
| Used By | Aronæv line Great lakes ferry corporation Sahren mail service Hwittle Vehicles | ||||
| Aircraft Characteristics | |||||
| Dry Mass | 62 Tonnes (unloaded) 80 Tonnes (max load) | ||||
| Length | 27.5 m | ||||
| Width | 32.9 m | ||||
| Height | 9.7 m | ||||
| Propulsion | 4 x eng | ||||
| Maximum Velocity | 87.8m/s | ||||
| Operational Range | 1,600 (full load) km | ||||
| Crew | Pilot, Copilot, 24 passengers | ||||
| Variants | none |
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The Aontan class are a class of 7 flying boat passenger liners ordered by the Aronæv line and built by the Klensagradina Stahlduga. They were the first of the Aronæv line's liners for Aontan sea service and pioneered many revolutionary design features.
Background
The Aronæv line was founded by Tekina Aronæv for the purpose of transporting personelle across the Aontan sea
Design
The Aontan class were powered by 4 turboprops with 3 blades mounted above the top wing. Unable to construct their own engines, these were manufactured as special orders either from Alkan or Abzalev. Reliability of the engines left much to be desired as they were LFO turbines converted to liquid fuel rather than true turboprops. The wings were remarkably thin as the lower wing would fold into the upper one after takeoff, making the Aontan class a biplane-monoplane hybrid.
The ships were designed to carry 8 crew and () passengers. Their interiors were considered luxurious for the time. Behind the cockpit was the gantry for entry and exit, contrasting the fore gantry found more commonly on flying ships now.
Careers
Aontan
Aontan was launched in mealtyk of 2134 to a cost of (). It was the first ship named with a demonym ending which was a tradition that since followed the Aronæv line until its dissolution. Only after 4 years it was superceded by superior designs and was sent to the gulf of Iro where it spent the next 5 uneventful years. In 2144 it became caught in a typhoon and had to land to sail through, and in the low visibility rammed the iroan vessel Najm Alshara causing both to sink. Miraculously no life was lost on either vessel.
Iroan
Iroan was launched alongside Aontan in 2134. It had a remarkably short career of only 3 years in which it rammed and sank the Sahren ship Thail na Slovale, nearly hit another Tekkian ship (), and then scraped alongside the Grestiya ship Grenada before suffering an engine failure and diverting to Ophir. In 2137 it was then sold to the Sahren government for mail transport and destroyed in the Sahren Civil War in 2144
Sanctum
Sanctum and the Aontan class ships afterward were of improved engine design which eliminated many malfunctions thus increasing the average speed. On maiden voyage sanctum captured the Azure Riband for fastest eastern crossing in 2137. It served uneventfully until 2150 when she was sold to the Laveskan Great lakes ferry corporation.
Delta
The Delta was launched in 2137 and was used initially for experimenting with different routes. From 2140-2144 it was transferred to the new Chadastok routes before being cut off from Sahr by Chadastok neutrality. Until the war ended it ran routes between the Imperial Union and Chadastok before returning to normal business in 2146. In 2169 it was sold to Ikonian corporation Hwittle Vehicles and served another six years before being scrapped. With 32 years in service, Delta was the longest lasting Aontan class flying ship and one of the longest on the Aronæv line.
Wakir
Wakir was launched in 2137 and intended to be the last Aontan class liner as the east-west route between Kulge and Mlorba was being replaced with larger and faster flying boats. In 2139 it was mistaken as a Sahren military vessel during the Phoenian invasion of Grestin and seized in port by the Grestians. After the war it was released and returned, beginning an uneventful period of service until 2161 when it was sold and converted into a crop bulk transport.