Aerospatiale (Nord) 262

The Aérospatiale (Nord) 262 is a twin-turboprop regional transport aircraft developed by Nord Aviation in France during the early 1960s. Originally designed to replace aging piston-engined feederliner types, it offered pressurized cabin comfort on short-haul routes and was produced in several variants. The aircraft was adopted by both civil and military operators, finding use as a regional airliner, corporate transport, and military utility platform. Production was taken over by Aérospatiale following a merger. The type saw service across Europe, North America, and parts of Africa. By the late 20th century most examples had been retired from commercial airline service, though some military and utility operators continued to use surviving airframes. The design is considered a modest commercial success that helped establish French regional aviation manufacturing.