In our SIM, it's always fun to explore a "new" and "unfamiliar" aircraft, modern or older/classic...The BAe ATP is (somewhat) "new" (at least to me), in the sense that, it's relatively less-known in our SIM world. Here, this past week, some interest and comments, in the BAe ATP, made me look up this aircraft in greater details.

ATP, in BAe ATP, stands for "(A)dvanced (T)urbo-(P)rop", but, the word "Advanced" is (has been) always relative, i.e. meaningful to the usage of its own era and time. For example, B787/A350/B777X are the most advanced commercial airliners of today (I'd, recently, shown, here, freeware SIM samples of the A350/B777X), but this "Advanced" definition, too, will be surely re-defined in future. Just a couple of months ago, I'd supplemented my (CS) B737-200 SIM with CS's incremental add-on "the 737-200 Advanced"...So, for various reasons, back in 1971, this 737 variant had come to be tagged, by Boeing, as "Advanced", for its time. And, so did BAe, in 1986, call this further evolved HS748 airframe (redesigned and lengthened - from 67' to 85') "Advanced". Importantly, for powerplant, the HS748's (twin) Rolls-Royce Darts were replaced with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW126 engines, to match/better those equipped on the (already deployed) ATR-42 (PW121) and Dash8-300 (PW123). [Side Note: The ATR-72 (shown in my previous post) and the Dash8-Q400, would later use PW127 and PW150, respectively, in the continuing search for more powerful and better efficient engines].

The ATP's cockpit is, of course, much more advanced compared to that of the (legacy) HS748, that I'd got to examine, earlier, (virtually), in JF's HS748. Today, I looked up (on-line) the cockpit images of the BAe ATP. Its cockpit and avionics, to my untrained eyes, seem to be based on (but more advanced than) that of the Jetstream 41, also by BAe, an aircraft SIM that I often fly, thanks to the (still) well-functioning PMDG JS41, on my (FSX/SE) system. The FMS, on the ATP, seems different, however, from that on the JS41, which had the Honeywell XLS-GNS FMS (nicely simulated by PMDG), whereas the ATP has the UNIVERSAL Avionics UNS1x FMS, similar, it looks like, to that on the ATR/Dash8 aircraft, that it was intended to compete with.

In summary, this is an (interesting) (turboprop) aircraft, that could do with a modern "virtualization", for our (simming) pleasure. Hopefully, some DEVS might just do it...we'll see...

Here, below, please find a selection of 20 liveries (real and fictional) for the BAe ATP, that I picked up, from Enigma Simulations, who have gone to great lengths to create (numerous) repaints of Airlines worldwide...Most of these Airlines are well-known, but a few are less-known...but, nonetheless, all these colors seem fascinating, in their own rights, and also look good on the ATP,...(so, hope, you enjoy these images).

Thanks for viewing...!!

Aaah, the good old Wigwam. It's a pretty aeroplane, even if it was just a tarted-up HS.748 attempting to do a cheap grab of the sector which the Dash 8 and the ATR ended up dominating. You're correct about the Jetstream connection, albeit the other way around, sort of. The very short-lived Jetstream 61 was essentially an ATP with a Jetstream 41 cockpit. More of a marketing exercise 'badge engineering' affair than anything else; all of them were scrapped.

I could tell you a few horror stories about the real ATP and some dodgy practices which went on at BAe Woodford when it was being rushed toward getting certified in an attempt to capture part of the sector for economical 70 seat turboprops. But I'd best not, we'll wait until there are none still flying before mentioning what went on shall we? Don't get me wrong, it wasn't so bad that I wouldn't get on one myself, but it was certainly not the approved procedure let's put it that way. 🤣

Edited January 19, 20215 yr by Chock

@ Chock: nevertheless, of the five airframes that were lost in accidents, it seems, all were lost due to human errors and not because of technical faults. Even though I´m not quite sure about the cause of the Merpati Nusantara crash, where one ot the propellers was found to be feathered.

Anyway, five total losses out of only 65 or so airplanes that left the production lines wouldn´t make me an all too happy passenger 🙂 Still, I like the ATP for its airliner-like looks and "modern" cockpit.

The issue I know about was related to the fairing around the APU.

Fairings are way overrated 😉

BTW, for those interested in the BAe ATP, there´s a 100 minutes Loganair BAe ATP flight deck video on Youtube.

Alan and duesenwerni:

Interesting bits of discussion (and insights) on the ATP. Many thanks...!!

[I couldn't resist another post here, in honor of BAe,...🙂...using one of my (all-time) favorite SIMs, the PMDG BAe JS41......(and, those BAe planes were/are pretty, that is for sure)...]

@P_7878, @Chock and @duesenwerni - thank you all for an interesting post. I'm relatively new to active participation on AVSim but I am finding it a great place to pick up all sorts of good info. I used to spend most of my forum time on Orbx but I'm not that keen on the place these days - there's a much wider interest in things over here.

And I'd not been aware of this particular aircraft, so this was fun, and I just gotta say I love that Chicago and Southern livery. One day I may eventually figure out how to do repaints/liveries and then gawdelpus!