Four engines on an 85-seat airliner never made commercial sense, which is close to the reason the RJ85 outlived the economics that killed it. A high cantilever wing, a T-tail and a two-petal airbrake in the tail cone bought short-field, steep-approach and hot-and-high performance that no twin of the 1990s could match, and that capability held the type at London City for two decades.
British Aerospace built it at Woodford as the re-engined successor to the BAe 146-200, and the last one off the line in 2003 was the final commercial airliner manufactured in the United Kingdom.
Most survivors now work as Type 1 air tankers over North American wildfires. DMI Aviation stocks main gear and nose wheel tires for the RJ85 from Goodyear, Dunlop, Michelin and Bridgestone.
Avro RJ85 Specifications
| Manufacturer | British Aerospace / Avro International Aerospace (Woodford, England); type certificate now held by BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd |
| Type | Four-engine regional jet airliner |
| Type designation | Avro 146-RJ85 |
| ICAO and IATA codes | RJ85 / AR8 |
| First flight | First RJ85, G-CROS, flew 27 November 1992; some accounts place the first Avro RJ flight earlier that year |
| Certification | 23 April 1993; held on EASA TCDS A.182 and UK TCDS UK.TC.A.00134 |
| Entry into service | 23 April 1993 with Crossair, HB-IXF |
| Production status | Out of production; final RJ85 delivered 23 September 2003 |
| Units built | Approximately 173 Avro RJ aircraft across the RJ70, RJ85 and RJ100. No RJ85-only total is published; the wider 146 and RJ family runs to close on 400 |
| Engines | 4x Textron Lycoming LF507-1F turbofan, 7,000 lb thrust each, FADEC controlled. No thrust reversers fitted |
| Max range | Roughly 1,100 to 1,500nm (2,040 to 2,780km) depending on payload and weight variant |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.68 to 0.73, around 410 to 420 KTAS |
| Max operating altitude | 35,000ft. Pre-modification airframes are limited to 33,000ft or 31,000ft |
| Takeoff field length | Approximately 1,030 to 1,160m (3,380 to 3,810ft) |
| Landing field length | Approximately 1,200m (3,940ft) |
| Approach speed | Around 125 KIAS |
| Max takeoff weight (MTOW) | 42,184 kg (93,000 lb) basic, 43,998 kg (97,000 lb) maximum. Eight certificated weight configurations exist, from 36,287 kg upward |
| Max landing weight | 38,555 kg (85,000 lb) |
| Max zero fuel weight | 35,833 kg (79,000 lb) |
| Fuel capacity | 11,728 litres (3,099 US gallons) usable across left wing, centre and right wing tanks |
| Wingspan | 26.34m (86ft 5in) |
| Length | 28.55m (93ft 8in) |
| Height | 8.61m (28ft 3in) |
| Wing area | 77.3 sq m (832 sq ft) |
| Landing gear track | 4.72m (15.5ft) |
| Wheelbase | 11.20m (36.75ft) |
| Passenger capacity | 85 typical at five abreast, up to 100 at six abreast; 118 maximum occupancy including crew |
| Crew | 2 pilots |
| Price | Out of production with no active retail market. Airframes now move privately to air tanker converters and parts specialists rather than through brokers |
Avro RJ85 History and Overview
Development and Background
Hawker Siddeley launched the HS.146 in 1973 as a 70-seat regional airliner and shelved it the following year when the oil crisis took the market with it. British Aerospace revived the programme in 1978 and flew the BAe 146 from Hatfield on 3 September 1981. Series 100, 200 and 300 followed, and by the early 1990s the airframe needed new engines to stay competitive.
The Avro RJ answered that. Textron Lycoming LF507 turbofans with FADEC replaced the earlier LF502, an all-digital ARINC 700 flight deck replaced the analogue installation, design weights rose and Cat IIIa autoland became standard. The RJ85 is the version built on the 146-200 fuselage, sitting between the short-body RJ70 and the stretched RJ100.
The first RJ85, G-CROS, flew on 27 November 1992. Certification on the type certificate data sheet and the first delivery both fell on 23 April 1993, when Crossair took HB-IXF as launch customer. Production ran at Woodford until the final RJ85 went to Air Botnia on 23 September 2003, closing out commercial airliner manufacture in Britain.
Design and Performance
Four LF507s of 7,000 lb thrust hang on underwing pylons beneath a high cantilever wing, with a T-tail above and no thrust reversers anywhere. Deceleration comes from a two-petal airbrake in the tail cone below the rudder, and from a wing sized for approach speeds around 125 knots. Airstairs and an APU keep the aircraft independent of ground equipment.
That combination is what operators bought. The airbrake must be serviceable for steep approach work and is selected out at glideslope interception, which is how the family came to own the 5.5 degree approach into London City. A UK AAIB investigation into the stretched RJ100 recorded how little pitch margin that approach leaves at Vref minus five, although the shorter RJ85 keeps more body angle clearance than the stretch does.
High-bypass engines with sound-damping nacelles earned the marketing name Whisperjet, and the type certifies to ICAO Annex 16 Chapter 3 at lateral noise levels below 90 EPNdB. The high wing keeps the engines clear of debris, so unpaved strips are within the type’s capability.
Variants
- BAe 146-100, 200 and 300: the original LF502-powered aircraft built from 1983, which the Avro RJ series superseded.
- Avro RJ70, RJ85 and RJ100: the LF507-engined family. The RJ85 uses the 146-200 fuselage and seats 85 five abreast, the RJ70 is the short-body aircraft and the RJ100 the stretch. An RJ115 is also covered by the type certificate.
- RJ85 weight variants: eight approved configurations run between 36,287 kg and 43,998 kg maximum takeoff weight, two of them reduced by modification. Two RJ85s can therefore carry different placarded weights and different main gear tire ply ratings.
- Avro RJX85: a Honeywell AS977 re-engining launched in March 2000 with Druk Air as customer. The prototype flew on 28 April 2001 and BAE Systems cancelled the programme that November after three airframes.
- Air tanker conversion: Conair and Aero-Flite fit a gravity-fed retardant tank of approximately 3,000 US gallons (11,350 litres), giving a three-hour low-level mission with reserves.
Operators
Crossair launched the type and its successor Swiss flew the family for 27 years, retiring the last on 15 August 2017. Lufthansa CityLine ran 18 aircraft it called the Jumbolino and finished in August 2012 after more than 575,000 flights. Brussels Airlines inherited 32 Avro and 146 airframes from DAT, 14 of them RJ85s, and saw the last out in October 2017.
CityJet was the largest RJ85 operator of all, running more than 50 over roughly 27 years on its own network and on wet lease to Air France, Lufthansa and Aer Lingus Regional. It withdrew the last one, EI-RJF, in November 2020 and flew it to the United States for air tanker conversion. Cobham in Australia ended 32 years on the family in June 2022.
What flies today mostly fights fires. Aero-Flite in the United States and parent company Conair in Canada both still list the RJ85 as a current type, with Aero-Flite operating seven Type 1 air tankers as of 2024 under a United States Forest Service contract. Summit Air in Canada, EcoJet in Bolivia, several Gulf government flights and a handful of Iranian carriers account for most of the remainder.
Current Status
Production ended in 2003 and nothing will restart it. BAE Systems Regional Aircraft remains the type certificate holder and still publishes the instructions for continued airworthiness, runs 24/7 technical support and manages approved repair solutions, which is more than many out-of-production types get.
The passenger fleet has largely gone and the air tanker fleet now faces its own replacement. Conair has delivered more than 20 Dash 8-400 conversions and states plainly that the Dash 8 carries 2,462 US gallons against the RJ85 tank’s 3,000 while burning significantly less fuel. No RJ85 retirement has been announced and both operators still list the type, but the direction of travel is not subtle.
There is effectively no retail used market. Controller showed no RJ85 listings in October 2026, and recent documented trades went to parts specialists rather than operators. Tire support is a different question and remains straightforward, since every certificated size is shared across the BAe 146 and Avro RJ family.
Avro RJ85 Landing Gear and Tires
Landing Gear Configuration
The RJ85 uses a hydraulically retractable tricycle undercarriage with a steerable nose unit and two wheels on each leg, so six tyres per aircraft. Track is 4.72m and wheelbase 11.20m. Main units retract into fuselage-side fairings rather than the wing, which is what the high-wing layout forces.
The type certificate approves two sizes at each position, a standard fitment and a low pressure option. That matters at the point of ordering: the same type can legitimately sit on 39×13 or 42×15 mains and 24×7.7 or 24.5×8.5 nose tires depending on how the airframe was specified.
Main gear ply rating follows aircraft weight, and the RJ85 has eight certificated weight configurations behind it. Dunlop lists its 22 ply 39×13 against the 146-200 and the RJ85, and its 24 ply against the 146-300 and RJ100, so 22 ply is the normal RJ85 fitment with 24 ply certified on the size for higher weight airframes. Serial number and weight variant settle it.
Avro RJ85 Tire Specifications
| Main gear tire size, standard | 39×13-16 |
| Main gear ply rating | 22PR normal RJ85 fitment; 24PR certified on the size, dependent on aircraft weight |
| Main gear tire size, low pressure option | 42×15-16 at 20PR or 22PR |
| Nose wheel tire size, standard | 24×7.7-10 |
| Nose wheel ply rating | 14PR |
| Nose wheel tire size, low pressure option | 24.5×8.5-10 at 12PR |
| Wheels and tires per aircraft | Six; two per main gear leg and two on the nose leg |
| Construction | Bias, tubeless |
| Landing gear | Hydraulically retractable tricycle with steerable nose unit; no thrust reversers fitted |
| Compatible brands | Goodyear, Dunlop, Michelin, Bridgestone |
| Part numbers, main gear | Dunlop DR11749T (22PR); Goodyear 393F53-1, Dunlop DR11748T, Bridgestone APS01471 (24PR) |
| Part numbers, nose gear | Goodyear 247F48-3; Michelin 028-675-3 and 026-675-0; Dunlop DR15840T; Bridgestone APS01126-A |
| Shared fitment | Common across the BAe 146 and Avro RJ family. The 24×7.7 14PR nose tire is also a Saab 340 and Dornier 328 fitment |
Verify specifications against the aircraft’s Airworthiness Maintenance Manual and applicable airworthiness directives before ordering. Series, weight variant and wheel configuration all change the tire requirement on this type, and inflation pressures are AMM data rather than catalogue data.
Main Gear Tires
Each main leg carries two 39×13 tires in the standard fitment. Dunlop DR11749T is the 22 ply, 210 mph part listed against the 146-200 and the RJ85 by name. At 24 ply the field widens to Goodyear 393F53-1 in the Flight Leader line, Dunlop DR11748T and Bridgestone APS01471, all catalogued against the BAe 146 family.
The 42×15 low pressure option is a Dunlop proposition in practice. DR20723T covers 20 ply and DR20725T covers 22 ply, with no current Goodyear, Michelin or Bridgestone equivalent at that size. Operators on the low pressure fitment should plan lead times rather than assume shelf stock.
Wear is driven by cycles rather than hours, and air tanker work compounds that: heavy-weight departures and fast turnarounds on retardant bases put more into a main gear tire per flight hour than a scheduled regional sector did.
Nose Wheel Tires
The nose unit takes two 24×7.7 tires at 14 ply in the standard fitment. Goodyear 247F48-3 names the RJ85 and the BAe 146 directly and is the part to quote first. Michelin 028-675-3 and 026-675-0, Dunlop DR15840T and Bridgestone APS01126-A are cross-referenced as alternates at the same size, ply and speed rating.
One trap is worth naming here. 24×7.7 is also the Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 nose size, but those aircraft take 10 ply at a 225 mph rating against the RJ85 requirement of 14 ply. Size alone does not make a part interchangeable, and the 24.5×8.5 low pressure option is a different part again.
Approved and Compatible Brands
The following fitments apply to the Avro RJ85 in the correct size, ply rating and speed rating. Main gear, standard 39×13 fitment:
- Dunlop DR11749T (39×13 22PR, 210 mph), main gear, listed against the 146-200 and RJ85
- Goodyear 393F53-1 (Flight Leader, 39×13 24PR, 210 mph), main gear, higher weight airframes
- Dunlop DR11748T (39×13 24PR, 210 mph), main gear, higher weight airframes
- Bridgestone APS01471 (39×13 24PR, 190 mph), main gear, higher weight airframes
Main gear, 42×15 low pressure option:
Nose gear, standard 24×7.7 fitment:
- Goodyear 247F48-3 (Flight Leader, 24×7.7 14PR, 190 mph), nose gear, listed against the RJ85 and BAe 146
- Michelin 028-675-3 (24×7.7 14PR, 190 mph), nose gear
- Michelin 026-675-0 (24×7.7 14PR, 190 mph), nose gear
- Dunlop DR15840T (24×7.7 14PR, 190 mph), nose gear
- Bridgestone APS01126-A (24×7.7 14PR, 190 mph), nose gear
The 24.5×8.5 12 ply nose fitment is a certificated option on the type but is not currently held as a stocked line. Contact us for availability on that size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Avro RJ85 still in production?
No. The final RJ85 was delivered to Air Botnia on 23 September 2003, which also ended commercial airliner production in the United Kingdom. The RJX re-engining that would have continued the line was cancelled in November 2001. BAE Systems Regional Aircraft still holds the type certificate and supports the fleet.
What are the Avro RJ85 specifications?
Four Textron Lycoming LF507-1F turbofans of 7,000 lb thrust, 85 passengers at five abreast and up to 100 at six abreast, Mach 0.68 to 0.73 cruise and a 35,000ft certificated ceiling. Maximum takeoff weight runs from 42,184 kg (93,000 lb) basic to 43,998 kg (97,000 lb). The table above gives dimensions, weights and field performance in full.
What is the range of the Avro RJ85?
Between roughly 1,100 and 1,500nm (2,040 to 2,780km) depending on payload and which of the eight certificated weight configurations an airframe carries. Published figures vary widely for this reason. Work from the flight manual for the specific aircraft rather than a generic figure.
What is the Avro RJ85 price?
There is no list price and effectively no retail market. Controller showed no RJ85 listings in October 2026, and recent documented trades have been private sales to air tanker converters and parts specialists rather than brokered transactions. Values are driven by conversion potential and by what the airframe is worth stripped.
What does the Avro RJ85 cost to operate per hour?
No credible published figure exists, and charter rates quoted online are retail prices rather than operating cost. The honest framing is comparative: four engines on an 85-seat aircraft mean four maintenance streams and four overhaul cycles against a seat count a twin covers with two. Conair gave up roughly 18 percent of tank capacity moving to the Dash 8-400AT specifically because it burns significantly less fuel.
Where can I find an Avro RJ85 for sale?
Listings are rare on general marketplaces and the type trades privately. Air tanker converters, parts specialists and asset managers handle most movements. If you operate one, DMI Aviation stocks tires for the type.
What interior options does the Avro RJ85 offer?
The standard cabin is five abreast at 19in seat width, typically 85 seats, with six abreast possible at up to 100 and a maximum occupancy of 118 including crew. Cabin internal diameter is 3.42m, wide for a regional jet of its generation. Freight volume is around 18.25 cubic metres.
What is the Avro RJ85 landing distance?
Landing field length is approximately 1,200m (3,940ft) and takeoff field length runs roughly 1,030 to 1,160m (3,380 to 3,810ft), with the takeoff figure sensitive to stage length and weight. The type is certified for the 5.5 degree steep approach, which is what qualified it for London City, and the tail cone airbrake must be serviceable for that work.
What is the difference between the BAe 146 and the Avro RJ85?
The RJ85 is the re-engined development of the BAe 146-200 and shares its fuselage. Textron Lycoming LF507 engines with FADEC replaced the LF502, the analogue flight deck gave way to an all-digital ARINC 700 installation, design weights rose and Cat IIIa autoland became standard. Wheels, tires and gear architecture carry across the whole 146 and RJ family.
Why does the Avro RJ85 have four engines?
Four small engines gave high installed thrust at low speed without the ground clearance problems of larger fans under a high wing, which is what delivers the short-field, hot-and-high and steep-approach performance the type was sold on. It also allowed very low noise levels. The cost is four maintenance streams on an 85-seat aircraft, which is why twins replaced it everywhere the runway did not demand otherwise.
What tire size does the Avro RJ85 use?
Main gear tires are 39×13-16 at a 22 ply rating for the standard RJ85 fitment, with 24 ply certified on the size for higher weight airframes, and nose wheel tires are 24×7.7-10 at 14 ply. A low pressure option exists at both positions, 42×15-16 on the mains and 24.5×8.5-10 on the nose. Verify size and ply against the AMM for your serial number and weight variant before ordering.
Which tire brands are approved for the Avro RJ85?
Goodyear, Dunlop, Michelin and Bridgestone all appear across the certificated sizes, though not every brand covers every size and ply combination. Dunlop DR11749T is the 22 ply main gear part listed against the RJ85 by name, and Goodyear 247F48-3 is the nose tire listed against it. The 42×15 low pressure main is Dunlop only in current production.
How much do Avro RJ85 tires cost?
Pricing varies by brand, ply rating and whether the tire is new or an OEM-certified retread, and several parts on this type are quoted on a lead time basis rather than carrying a shelf price. See the product listings for current pricing, or contact us for bulk orders and lead times.
What is the tire pressure for the Avro RJ85?
Inflation pressures depend on series, weight variant and tire type, and the type certificate refers main gear pressures to the aircraft maintenance manual rather than publishing a single value. Work from the AMM figure for the specific airframe and check against a calibrated gauge at the intervals the maintenance programme sets.
How long do Avro RJ85 tires last?
Regional jet main gear tires generally give a few hundred landings between changes, driven by runway surface, braking technique, sector length and ambient temperature. Air tanker operations accumulate cycles quickly at high weights, so surviving airframes tend to wear tires faster than the passenger fleet did.
How often should Avro RJ85 tires be changed?
Replace at the wear limit, when cord or fabric is exposed, or when cuts, bulges or flat spots are found at inspection. Retread limits and cycle counts are set by the maintenance programme and the tire manufacturer’s care and maintenance manual. A licensed engineer and the AMM govern the final call.
