VFW 614 AHEAD OF ITS TIME

Barry Lloyd examines the VFW 614 – an innovative German-designed, multinational jetliner that helped pave the way for European transport aircraft development.

Air Alsace operated two VFW 614s from April 1976. Illustrated in F-GATH being used by the airline in November 1979.
Bob O’Brien Collection
Aircraft D-BABC was the third prototype built.
Bob O’Brien Collection
The Luftwaffe acquired three examples, with the first arriving in 1977 and the last retiring in 1998.
Key-Alan Warnes

During the 1950s, there was no shortage of companies competing to design and build what they believed would be the ultimate Douglas DC-3 replacement. Avro, Convair, Fokker and Handley Page were just a few of those whose design offices were busy working on transport aircraft projects, deciding whether to put the wings on top of the fuselage or underneath, and what type of powerplants should propel their brainchild.

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