Do228 NXT Demonstrator Debuts at Farnborough Show

General Atomics AeroTec Systems (GA-ATS) has brought its new Do228 NXT special missions demonstrator aircraft to the Farnborough show weeks after rolling out the refitted airframe at the ILA Berlin show in June. In a major upgrade to the 1980s-era twin turboprop, the NXT features a new cabin and cockpit and gives prospective customers multiple equipment options.

In fact, this particular Do228 is coming home to the UK. For more than 40 years, the Dornier model was in service with various operators in the country, including regional airlines and fishery patrols. Most recently, it was owned by hydrogen-electric propulsion innovator ZeroAvia as a test aircraft based at Cotswold Airport.

Last month, GA-ATS announced that it has signed a contract with a launch customer for the NXT. It will be delivered to an undisclosed humanitarian group in early 2027.

GA-ATS holds the Do228 type certificate and offers various modifications. The flight deck now features four Universal Avionics flat-panel displays, a digital autopilot, and a flight management system that supports satellite-based precision approaches.

Powered by a pair of 776-shp Honeywell TPE331-10 engines driving MTV-27 five-blade propellers, the aircraft has a range of up to 1,340 nm with an 1,100-pound payload. It operates up to a 25,000-foot ceiling and has a maximum cruise speed of 240 knots.