F28

F28 is a designation used for several products and projects, but it is most commonly associated with the Fokker F28 Fellowship, a Dutch-designed regional jet airliner built by Fokker in the late 1960s and 1970s. The F28 was developed to offer a jet-powered alternative to smaller turboprops for short- to medium-range routes and to compete with other regional jets of its era. It entered service in the late 1960s and was produced into the late 1980s, with hundreds built and operated by airlines around the world.

Design and development: The Fokker F28 is a low-wing, twin-jet airliner featuring rear-fuselage mounted engines and a horizontal stabilizer mounted high on the vertical fin, giving it a T-tail configuration. It was designed to carry roughly 65 to 85 passengers, depending on variant and interior layout. The aircraft emphasized simplicity and ease of operation, aiming to provide efficient regional service with typical regional-range performance for its time. The first flight occurred in 1967, followed by certification and entry into commercial service in the subsequent years.

Variants and operators: The F28 family includes several variants, commonly referred to as the F28-1000, -2000, and -3000 series, which differed mainly in capacity, range, and weight limits. Operators included European, African, and other international carriers, some of which used the type for replacement of older turboprop fleets. Over time, many F28s were retired, with some converted to cargo configurations or preserved in museums.

See also: Fokker aircraft, F27 Friendship. Note that in other contexts, F28 may denote different products or codes, but the Fokker F28 Fellowship is the primary aviation reference.