Turboprops–Nothinghauls Asmuch Efficiently on Current Levels,Theairlinesare Rediscoveringthevalue As Thespeedyavic Primus150singleinchina

BUSINESS 34 the marketcan’trefuse Aircraft offervalue short hops–andsoisgeneral aviation. of turboprops–nothinghauls asmuch efficiently on current levels,theairlinesare rediscoveringthevalue as thespeedyAvic Primus150singleinChina. on priceto some buyers and jumpstartprogramssuch single Mahindra/GippsAirvan10muchmoreattractive make competingforeignproductssuchasthesimple of internationalcurrenciesthatincludestheeuro,could dollar, pushingthroughfour-year highs againstabasket turboprop marketforsomeyearstocome,therising the Dubaiairshow. Cessna CaravanandAirTractor 802 cropdusterat the United Arab Emirates (UAE) unveiled an armed conscious nations,alsodrivingdemand.Lastyear props arebeingpressedintomilitaryservicebycost- can operatefromunimprovedrunways. such astheCessnaCaravanandQuestKodiakthat a turboprop’s value,especially unpressurized singles ket, whichseemstohaveabetterunderstandingof share andmostofthisoutputisfortheexportmar dominate themarketwithabetterthan80-percent all themoreattractive.U.S.turbopropmanufacturers PC-12, 74percentofnew. Meridian 75percentofnew;anda1990Pilatus a 2008TBM850,81percentofnew;2009Piper percent ofnew;a1991TBM700,85 a 1981CessnaConquestIItwinevenhigherat99 trades foranastonishing93percentofitsnewprice; aircraft pricingserviceVref, a1985Cessna ability andhighpricingasaresult.Accordingtothe models onthemarketsshowingonlysingle-digitavail- substantially, withthefleetpercentagesformost models onthehorizon. age ofnewsingle-andevensometwin-engine vigor toarecord645aircraftandthereisnoshort- year shipmentsofturbopropsbouncedbackwith decline inthosefiguresthefollowingyears.Last 538 turbopropaircraftbeforeexperiencingasteady General Aviation ManufacturersAssociationdelivered omy completelysheditswheels,membersofthe years. In 2008, the last year before the global econ- TURBOPROPS by MarkHuber

One thingiscertain:asenergy pricesremainfirmat While U.S.manufacturerslikelywilldominatethe What oncewerealmostexclusivelycivilianturbo- This kindofusedpricingmakesnewturboprops Meanwhile, theusedturbopropmarkethasfirmed This isthehealthiestmarketfornewturbopropsin Aviation International News•November 2014 •www.ainonline.com

Caravan - for start andcutoff. Incondition the rightsideiscondition mode thrust modefor and taxiandflight shift Ferraris: theleftsideis stick- gate pattern reminiscent of pilot workload. and the condition lever and reduces the throttle and propeller controls plified, single power lever replaces been made to the cockpit. A sim- plane betterstallmanners. wing leadingedgegives theair the fuselage afew feetinfront of strake ontheleftlower forward efficiency from theairplane. Anew aerodynamic wring thelastbitof and empennage–all designedto aerodynamic), wings, dorsalfin ing-gear doors(biggerandmore made tothecowling airflow, land- shp for takeoff. 850 torque limiterenables theuseof PT6A-66D burns 37 gph and a new Pratt & Whitney Canada P&WC ute reserve). Atcruisealtitudethe boosts range to1,730nm(45-min- the 31,000-foot certified ceiling)and improves climbrates (18minutes to distanceby more than20percent, off reduces standard-day sea-level take - 330knots, a highertopspeedof propeller that helpsgive theTBM a slight twist. It is mainly the new different engineairintake that has engine exhaust stacksandasubtly a redesigned spinner, winglets, new five dramatically swept blades and compositepropellerHartzell with from itspredecessors withanew this pastMarch. delivered toitslaunchcustomer secret over thelastthree years and was developed andcertifiedin Daher-Socata TBM900 Singles The lever operates inaclassic H Numerous improvements have Minor changesalsohave been The $3.7million900isdistinct theTBM The latest iteration of

Gipps Airvan 10 Gipps Airvan - for more than 40 of theaircraft. for more than40of LEDs. Thecompany holdsorders Ng, andallexternal lightsare now atmatically 50-percent shuts off accelerates thesequenceandauto- to a new 300-ampgenerator that panel. Startingiseasierthanks plays andaremote FMScontrol G1000 systemwiththree large dis- ics. The900features theGarmin dial intheirpersonalergonom- are alsoadjustable, sopilotscan three axes andthe rudder pedals The pilotseats now adjustinall USB portsanda12-volt socket. the instrumentpanelnow has two date tablet computerdevices and have toaccommo- beenoptimized on thecontrol yokes. The yokes refinements includemore buttons ically feathered. Othercockpit mode thepropeller isautomat- million unpressurized turbopropmillion unpressurized piston-powered Airvan 8,this $1.3 10Mahindra/Gipps Airvan MATT THURBER Developed from theboxy metal Epic LT kit,basisfortheE1000 lot seat) and stilloffer 32cuft in thecabin andoneinthecopi- figured for 10passengers(nine 16 feet, one inch long) can be con- (50 incheswide, 45inchestall and commuter operations. Thecabin medevac, skydiving, freight and patrol/reconnaissance/surveillance, for diverse missions, including 10 main cabin can be configured STOL capability. obstacle), giving thisaircraft true 1,100 feet(1,600over a50-foot rollis 20,000feet.The takeoff is 1,000 fpmandtheserviceceiling 145 ktas. Maximum climb rate is reserves andacruisingspeedof 550nmwithIFR lons), arange of standard fuelcapacity 153gal- pounds (usefulload2,250pounds, 1,400 has afull-fuelpayload of wide sliding aft cargo door. It propeller. Itfeatures a50-inch- HC-D3F-7three-bladeHartzell Rolls-Royce 250-B17driving a single ispowered by a450-shp The flat floor of theAirvan The flat of floor

© 2014 AIN Publications. All Rights Reserved. For Reprints go to www.ainonline.com 10, signifying seat capacity,” hesaid. Airvan namewiththenumbers 8and space. “The new identity combines the Mahindra Aero- and globalCEOof said Arvind Mehra, executive director ture for Indianandglobalmarkets,” aircraft andcomponentmanufac - brand identity, encompassingboth are closely alignedwithMahindra’s pany logo. “The new logo and naming Airvan 10 and unveiled anew com - Mahindra Aerospace Airvan 8and the GippsGA8(piston)andGA10 Earlier this year Mahindra rebranded Australia-based GippsAero in2009. India’s Mahindra Aerospace bought Latrobe factory in Victoria, Australia. certification next year. from Mahindra toldAINtheyexpect ule, but thissummerrepresentatives program isseveral years behindsched- floats is anticipated. At this point the amphibious aircraft, and the option of mum capacity) can also be fitted to the optional cargo pod(600poundsmaxi- cargo space intherear cabin. An of The aircraft willbebuilt at theGipps Daher-Socata TBM900 Kestrel K-350

MARK WAGNER than 100countries. company employing 180,000inmore The Mahindra Group isa$16.5billion seems tohave been generated largely by 2015. Epic’s order bookfor 35aircraft certification remained ontrack for its facilityinBend,Oregon, andthat atcraft andwas hiringadditional staff building partsfor itsconformal air slipped. Earlier thisyear itsaid itwas year, but that goalappears tohave to fly two conformal testaircraft last is 1,840feet(over a50-foot obstacle). distance is1,600feet;landing high. Mtow is7,500pounds. Takeoff 15 feetlong,4.6wideand4.9 fpm. Thecabin seats sixandmeasures minutes andthemaximum rate is4,000 34,000-foot ceiling.Timetoclimbis15 fuel anda with thefull288gallonsof omy cruise), 1,120-pound payload 1,625nm(at 265ktasecon- range of four-blade propeller. TheE1000 has a from 1,825 shp)turninga Hartzell ada PT6A-67A(1,200shp, flat-rated is powered by aPratt &Whitney Can- G1000avionicstion andGarmin and E1000 features carbon-fiberconstruc- aircraft. The$2.75million,325-knot focus itsefforts onproducing certified has decidedtoexit thekitbusiness and those have beendelivered, but Epic million LT kitplane. More than 46of the$1.95 develop acertifiedversion of Epic E1000 The company hadsaiditplanned Epic continues itscampaignto Quest KodiakwithSummitoption Primus 150 Extra 500 - bought thecompany in2012. Engineering LLC, aRussian MRO that the 25destinedfor itsparent company, be fittedwith theAvidyne Integra R9 25,000feet.Thecockpitcan ceiling of 1,600nmand aservice has range of 250-B17F/2, cruisesat 226knots, and powered by the450-shp Rolls-Royce Jiangsu Province. is located inZhenjiang inChina’s craft likely willmove toChina.Jiangsu theentire air After that, production of in Dinslaken, Germany, through 2016. shipped for assembly at Extra’s factory will befabricated by Jiangsuandthen thesale, partsfor theaircraft of terms won EASAapproval in2006.Under and gainFAA certification. The500 up aU.S.-based manufacturing plant Industry. Extra had been tryingtoset to China’s JiangsuA-StarAviation when theprogram was soldinMay turboprop single got a shot in the arm to manufacture andmarket this light Extra and 8,500poundsmtow. with fullfuel(319U.S. gallonsusable) payload alternate); 1,200poundsof and NBAA IFRreserves with100-nm maximum cruisespeedat 31,000feet 1,300 nmrange (pilot,five passengers, at least320ktas; imum cruisespeedof liminary specifications includeamax- $3 million. Pre- the neighborhood of the aircraft but itisexpected tobein bothwingtips. views of and awraparound windshieldallowing panel withlarge flat-panel displays controls, alow, contoured instrument sengers. Thecockpitfeatures sidestick density configuration for eightpas- diverse asmedevac, cargo andahigh- others willaccommodate missionsas ger seating for five toninepeople. The ors Kestrel isdeveloping, withpassen- nineinteri- Gulfstream. Itisjustoneof oval a cabin windows reminiscent of leathers, awideaisleandoversize ing high-glosswood veneers, upscale moderncorporate jets, includ- those of five-seat executive interior on parwith TBO. Theaircraft features afour- to 1,000 shpandproviding a5,000-hour TPE331-14GR engine, flat-rated to onics systemandHoneywell for the forGarmin the G3000 touchscreen avi- already beenselected.Theyinclude now-defunct Farnborough Aircraft. flew in2006andwas developed by the to theoriginalKestrel JP10,which first today bearslittledetailedresemblance has runonateststand.Theaircraft fabricated, andtheengine/prop/cowl largely complete, somepartshave been vate equity. The engineering work is while the company pursues more pri- thesehave beenrenegotiatedof recently grants, loansandtaxcredits, andsome various governmentport intheform of To date thecompany hasreceived sup- on obtainingadditional investment. Kestrel The all-compositesix-seat 500is Extra Aircraft’s long-troubled attempt Kestrel hasnotreleased apricefor Major suppliersfor theK-350have thisprogram hinges The future of www.ainonline.com •November 2014• AviationInternational News 500 500 K-350 K-350 -

price for the500was $1.75million. installation in 2011.) The last listed avionics system.(EASAapproved that million range. The aircraft is thought price was reported tobeinthe$2-$4 engine mountedinthenose. Target new empennage andasingle turboprop ued Premier IAtwinjetwithnew wings, ite, thediscontin- wound fuselage of design combiningtheall-compos- PD434, believed tobeasingle-engine boprops, includingonecode-named tur announced plansfor anew lineof tron earlier thisyear, Beechcraft had Beechcraft G1000 avionics. hours. Theairplanefeatures Garmin 4,000 PT6A-34, which hasaTBOof the 750-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada $2.4 million.TheKodiak ispowered by panel andthepricetag isrightaround tion andsomegoodiesintheavionics the executive interior, anti-icingprotec- underbellypressurized–the cargo pod, mental oxygen–the airplaneisnot lion. Add airconditioning,supple- pod expands that by another63cuft. volume, andtheoptionalcargocu ftof Kodiak’s cabin yieldsanimpressive 248 thepilotseats,cargo door. the Aftof 49.25-inch by 49.25-inchleft-handaft can beloadedaboard through thegiant wood sheets, motorcycles andsoon ply- detach quickly andallmanner of cabinetry andsidewall tables. Theseats rior provides seats that recline, some able and functional. The executive inte- Nevertheless, theinterioriscomfort- have two color choices: beige and gray. aGulfstream. Youwith theinsideof modate eighttoninepeople. pilot); more utilitarianlayouts accom- room for five passengers(withone utive Summitinterior, theKodiak has go–and doitincomfort. With theexec- those placesairplanesjustshouldn’t utive interior. Now you canvisitall first timeyou can get itwith an exec - been around for a few years, 2014 is the Quest tures for only eightaircraft. order bookappears slim,withsigna- as next year; however, at thistimethe mer anddeliveries couldbeginasearly craft over madeitsfirstflight thesum- from the850-shpGEH85.Theair 28,000feet.Power comesa ceilingof 1,410nmand the Escape), arange of 352 knots (identical to cruise speed of Epic Escape, isaimingfor amaximum more thanjustalittlesimilartotheold $1.24 millionPrimus 150,withstyling single inlate 2012.Theall-composite, unveiling amockupfor afive-seat fast 2011. Apparently itwent toschoolfast, composite lightplanemaker Cirrusin Epic Aircraft designsandacquiring GA: buying the design rights to theold company madetwo bigmoves into Avic/Caiga Before itwas acquired by Tex- The basicairplanecosts$1.975mil- You’re notgoingtoconfusethis While thisruggedlittlebeasthas China’s state-run general aviation Kodiak withSummitOption Primus 150 PD434 Continues onnext page 35 u - -

BUSINESS TURBOPROPS uContinued from preceding page

to be aimed at buyers of the Pilatus PC-12NG. The preliminary concept Beechcraft King Air C90GTx and 250 DAVID MCINTOSH includes seating configurations for nine to 11 (including the pilot). Cabin dimen- steep-approach capabilities are main- sions: 5.5 feet wide, 5.4 feet high and tained, as is the type’s 41,000-foot ceil- 20.4 feet long. The NBAA IFR range ing and 402-knot top speed. with four passengers would be 1,750 The cockpit and cabin interior also nm and high-speed cruise 302 knots at have been improved. Cockpits now FL250. The airplane would have a max support electronic flight bags. The payload of 2,800 pounds and a full-fuel Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics payload of 1,650 pounds. are retained. The passenger cabin has In the wake of the Textron takeover, been redesigned with new Iacobucci the status of this program is unclear, seats and a fresh finish from Poltrano with Textron Aviation executives Frau as well as a new environmental Nextant G90XT making bland but cryptic comments control system and LED lighting. Five about any new programs needing configurations are now available with to justify themselves. Consider the C90GTx, including a new high-speed Nextant will integrate them with other seating for up to nine (six to seven in recent remarks of Christi Tannahill, nosegear tire and updates to the Collins changes to the airframe. Nextant received executive configurations) in the 375- Beechcraft vice president: “This is a Pro Line 21 flight displays. its first H75s over the summer and plans cu-ft cabin. The new propellers help market space that continues to grow, Beechcraft is making the CenTex to fly them on the aircraft this fall. reduce cabin noise by 20 percent. and we will continue to look at the sin- Aerospace Halo 250 increased gross Shortly thereafter, the company plans to Piaggio is also moving to bring gle-engine turboprop market and eval- weight (IGW) STC standard on all new- release performance numbers. Customer more reliability to its product support uate if that’s a space we want to be in.” production King Air 250s. The modifica- deliveries are expected next year. by instituting a new Parts Total Care tion raises mtow to 13,420 pounds from The cockpit of the G90XT will be hourly lifecycle parts program at the Cessna Concept Single 12,500 pounds, taking full-fuel payload substantially different from a typical starting rate of $235 per flight hour. In July 2012 Cessna unveiled a to 1,025 pounds from its current 155 G1000 retrofit in a King Air. The instru- Behind the scenes there have been research cabin mockup for a design pounds. King Air 250s with this option ment panel is trimmed in carbon fiber. some important changes at Piaggio slightly larger than the Piper Meridian, are certified in the commuter category, It includes a three-screen layout with Aero over the last year. Mubadala but has said little about it since. As this carry additional safety systems such as a backup Mid-Continent Instruments Aerospace, an Abu Dhabi govern- sector becomes increasingly crowded, engine fire extinguisher and illuminated standby attitude module and a Luma ment-owned entity that has been a and Cessna CEO Scott Ernest continues escape path floor markings. A BE-200 Technologies LED glareshield warn- shareholder in Piaggio Aero since his campaign for each member of the type rating is required to operate air- ing panel. The flight deck features Uni- 2006, took full control of the company company product line to defend itself planes in the commuter category. son’s simplified, single-lever control of earlier this year, following a broad- on profitability, Cessna’s entry into this The IGW STC is an aftermarket engine power and prop speed and has based restructuring of Piaggio Aero sector seems questionable at best. option for in-service King Air 250s and in-flight torque- and temperature-limit last year. As part of the restructuring, The concept had all-composite con- available through Textron Aviation’s fac- protection, auto-start and engine-trend India’s Tata Industries relinquished its struction, retractable landing gear, a tory-owned service centers. It is also avail- monitoring capabilities. The fuel-sys- partnership stake in Piaggio, giving wingspan of 42 feet, sidestick controls able through CenTex for all 200-series tem controls are now mounted above Mubadala control of 98 percent of the and seating for seven in a cabin measur- King Airs. The conversion also raises the power levers, replacing pressuriza- company’s stock. It is well known that ing 53 inches tall, 54 inches wide and Mmo, with the maximum operating tion switches that are no longer needed executives from Mubadala and Tata 17 feet, 8 inches long. Target price is Mach number climbing to Mach 0.58 because the pressurization system is dig- clashed over business strategies for $2.1- to $2.4 million. Baggage compart- from 0.52. (Mmo remains unchanged on itally integrated into the G1000 system. Piaggio, hindering the company’s abil- ment space is 26 cu ft. Target maximum King Air 200Ts and B200Ts.) It allows Standard cabin configurations offered ity to move forward. cruise speed is 260 knots. faster cruise speeds at high altitudes and include special mission/air ambulance, a Carlo Logli, the former CEO of faster descents. The increased gross weight high-density five-passenger layout and SuperJet International who was brought Twins also translates into more passenger, bag- an executive three-seat configuration. in to reorganize Piaggio, became the gage and fuel capacity. When used for fuel More than 1,500 C90s have been built, company’s new CEO. Logli’s first move Beechcraft King Air C90GTx and 250 alone, it adds 90 minutes of endurance to and Nextant believes an abundance of will be to close Piaggio’s antiquated Get Upgrades (Factory and Retrofit) a typical 200-series King Air. those are suitable for the program. manufacturing plants in Genoa and Beechcraft will make the new Rais- Finale Ligure and consolidate opera- beck-Hartzell swept-blade propeller and Nextant G90XT Piaggio Avanti Evo tions at a new $180 million facility at Raisbeck aft body strakes standard on The company that remanufactures Piaggio’s long-promised improve- Villanova d’Albenga Airport, 50 miles new production C90GTxs beginning in the Beechjet has now turned its sights ments for the Avanti II have finally southwest of Genoa. Logli said he plans the fourth quarter of this year. Raisbeck to remaking Beechcraft C90-series King materialized in the form of the $7.4 to implement modern industrialization introduced them to the retrofit market for Airs. A firm price has not been set but million Avanti Evo. Deliveries of the techniques at the new plant, including all C90 and E90 King Airs last year. The is expected to be in the $2.2 million plus refreshed aircraft could begin by year- cellular manufacturing. four blades have 30-degree sweep and range, consistent with Nextant’s goal end. The improved aircraft features He also hopes to land more defense give the new propeller a diameter of 96 of having the remanufactured aircraft winglets, anti-skid carbon brakes, dig- business for Piaggio, leveraging the Evo inches–six inches more than the original. come in at roughly half the price of a ital steering, redesigned engine inlets, a into two military variants, the unmanned The new props shorten the C90GTx’s new model. The Nextant G90XT will reshaped “front wing” and a new five- P1HH Hammerhead extended-range takeoff roll by 600 feet, to 1,984 feet, feature winglets, Garmin G1000 glass- blade Hartzell scimitar propeller that surveillance aircraft and the MPA, or and its landing roll by 10 percent over a panel avionics and GE H75 engines (750 will dramatically cut the twin pusher’s maritime patrol aircraft. Logli said deliv- 50-foot obstacle, to 2,160 feet (1,580 feet shp, 4,000-hour or 8,000-cycle TBO with notorious external noise signature by 68 eries of each are scheduled for next year with props in reverse). The new props also no hot section or fuel nozzle inspections percent (5dB) and give it a less obnox- and 2016, respectively. Meanwhile the allow an rpm reduction for cruise power required) mated to a propeller gearbox ious pitch. The changes also improve Evo received a launch order from Hong settings to 1750 rpm, cutting cabin noise that turns more slowly to yield reduced the Avanti’s performance: maximum Kong-based Bravia Capital for 10 aircraft by 1.6 dBA to 74.6 dBA, a level found in cabin noise and greater engine efficiency range is up by 17 percent, to 1,720 nm, options on another 40. The first Evos are most new luxury automobiles. Beechcraft in cruise, Nextant says. Both Garmin and and time to climb is down by 3 per- slated for delivery by year-end.

is making other improvements to the GE already have STCs for retrofit and cent, as are emissions. Short-field and Continues on page 38 u © 2014 AIN Publications. All Rights Reserved. For Reprints go to www.ainonline.com

36 Aviation International News • November 2014 • www.ainonline.com Evektor EV-55 Outback Avic Aircar New Retrofit Programs • Blackhawk Cessna Caravan BUSINESS Engine modification firm Blackhawk announced a new program for Cessna Caravan owners earlier this year. The company is certifying the 867-shp TURBOPROPS PT6A-140 as a direct aftermarket replacement for uContinued from page 36 the standard 600-shp PT6A-114 or the 675-shp PT6A-114A in these aircraft. Blackhawk said -140 engine customers can expect significant increases

Evektor EV-55 Outback MARK WAGNER in climb performance, cruise speeds, takeoff Certification for the Outback has Turbo Mallard distances and operations in icing conditions. Deliv- slid another two years, this time to eries will begin in next year’s first quarter. 2017. This $2.1 million light twin from the Czech Republic has been in devel- Blackhawk Cessna Caravan opment for more than a decade and NAL Saras first flew in 2011. By the summer of this year it had logged just 135 hours. A second test aircraft, a production- Indian Air Force (IAF), currently with conforming prototype, could fly later an order for 15 aircraft, might even opt this year. However, the order book to to reject the final product as costs have date appears anemic and the flight-test ballooned and a new Saras is thought to program is being conducted at a lei- cost more than $23 million. surely schedule, perhaps a reflection As currently configured, the Saras that it is a largely public-sector project. is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Evektor claims international orders for Canada PT6A-67As (1,200 shp each) two dozen of its military/utility/cargo/ spinning composite five-blade constant- Dornier SeaStar CD-2 The company currently offers the PT6A-42A as a high-power option for Caravan owners who combi/passenger aircraft, which seats speed MT propellers. Cruise speed is Mahindra/Gipps Airvan18 between nine and 14 people. 280 knots. Mtow is 15,653 pounds and routinely operate above 6,000 feet with heavy The project is being underwrit- useful load is 2,710 pounds. Service loads on hot days. The company said the -140 ten by the Czech ministry of industry ceiling is 30,000 feet and the climb rate will be a less expensive conversion for operators and is receiving technical assistance is 2,000 fpm. The Saras is designed to who fly at lower altitudes, particularly those who from the Czech army. The aircraft operate from 3,000-foot runways and operate on floats. The -140 conversion uses most is designed for high-altitude opera- can be configured to carry up to 14 of the standard aircraft’s major firewall-forward tions at unpaved airstrips. Evektor passengers. NAL is using the “lessons components and cowling. claims interest from several air forces learned” from the Saras program to Separately, Blackhawk announced a new and is marketing the aircraft to enti- develop a 70- to 90-passenger regional Turbo Mallard program with maintenance program provider ties currently flying Cessna 402/404 turboprop by 2020. Frakes Aviation is contemplating put- Jet Support Services (JSSI) that will give cus- piston twins and Antonov An-2 sin- ting the Grumman Widgeon, Goose and tomers the option of upgrading to new Black- gle-radial biplanes. The Outback fea- Avic Aircar Mallard amphibians back into production hawk conversions in place of standard overhauls. tures a quick-change cabin that can be A lookalike to the discontinued with P&WC PT6A power–the 715-shp -34 Under the deal, JSSI will contribute to the value reconfigured in 20 minutes. Dornier 328 twin and an update of the already STC approved for the aircraft or of the overhaul while customers would make up Power comes from a pair of P&WC Chinese YF-12, the Aircar premiered some other dash number. Frakes owns the difference in price. PT6A-21s rated at 536 shp each. Max- in 2011 and was initially available in a Mallard Aviation, the entity that owns the Blackhawk currently offers PT6A conversion imum speed at 10,000 feet is 220 knots 19-seat commuter configuration. Avic type certificates to the aircraft. It’s still in programs for the Beechcraft King Air 90 and 200; and maximum payload is 4,021 pounds. has recently begun promoting the air- the discussion phase with investors and Piper Cheyenne I, II, and IIXL; and Cessna Conquest Service ceiling is 29,000 feet. The vol- craft with an executive interior. Power manufacturing partners. If the project I, Caravan and Grand Caravan. Bob Kromer, Black- ume of the combined cargo/passen- comes from a pair of P&WC PT6A- goes ahead, new aircraft could enter pro- hawk vice president, said the conversion option ger area is 447 cu ft and the maximum 65Bs (1,100 shp each). The cockpit hosts duction next year. cargo payload is 3,021 pounds. Evektor Honeywell’s Apex avionics. The Aircar offers JSSI customers the opportunity to upgrade claims the Outback can take off from, is decidedly designed for the short haul: Mahindra/Gipps Airvan18 the performance of their aircraft substantially at a and land on, runways of less than 1,700 230-knot fast cruise speed and a seats- Mahindra is working on an updated price only marginally more expensive than straight feet at 6,500-foot elevation. Evektor has full range of 700 nm. version of the classic Government Air- overhauls of their existing engines. Blackhawk con- selected Esterline’s CMC SmartDeck as craft Factories N24 Nomad twin, ini- versions provide customers with improved hot/ standard equipment. Dornier SeaStar CD-2 tially rebadged as the GA18 and now high-altitude horsepower output, cruise speeds and Plans to build this $6 million, certi- the Airvan 18. Mahindra hopes to bring rate of climb, he said. NAL Saras fied, push-pull, all-composite amphib- the aircraft to market next year. Plans India may be able to place a satellite in ian in Quebec appear to have sunk, and for the aircraft include an 18-passen- • Daher-Socata Garmin upgrade orbit around Mars, but when it comes to the lone flying prototype has returned ger layout with quick-change options for TBM700 something more mundane–like building a to the Dornier family in Germany, who among passenger, cargo and combi. The Daher-Socata is offering a $120,000 avionics turboprop on any kind of rational sched- underwrote its $150 million design/cer- Airvan 18 will be powered by a pair of modernization package built around the Garmin ule–well, not so much. The country’s new tification costs in the 1980s and 1990s. upgraded 450-shp Rolls-Royce C250- G600/GTN 750 GPS/navcom touchscreen system prime minister, Narendra Modi, seems A family spokesman said last year series engines and receive new propel- to replace first-generation cathode-ray-tube displays dedicated to fixing things: This would that production would not begin without lers and a modern glass cockpit, while in TBM700s. The Garmin system provides graphical be a good place to start. Now in its 23rd full funding in place and that Dornier retaining its historic STOL capabili- flight planning, electronic charts, transponder and year of development, the twin-pusher continued to seek manufacturing and/ ties, easily using runways shorter than audio control and synthetic vision. n NAL Saras could be back in the air or investment partners for the program 2,000 feet. Maximum cruise speed is 173 “any day now,” a spokesman for India’s for a needed infusion of up to $100 mil- knots and range is 1,080 nm with 2,190 National Aerospace Laboratory said in lion. However, the marketing campaign pounds of payload. Maximum useful August. Indeed, a third prototype–the appears to continue in some form. Earlier load is 4,405 pounds, with an Mtow first was severely overweight and the sec- this year, Hellenic Seaplanes announced of 9,400 pounds. The Airvan18 will be ond crashed in 2009–was spotted taxi plans to add the CD-2 to its fleet serving manufactured at Gipps’s main complex testing over the summer. There is little the Greek Islands. in Victoria, Australia. o chance this aircraft will find a commer- The 180-knot, 10,000-pound Seastar cial market and NAL in as much admit- is powered by a pair of 650-shp ted it two years ago when it announced P&WC PT6A-135s. Interiors for the that the Saras program will not subject unpressurized cabin range from six-seat

itself to the civil certification process and executive layout to a 12-seat high-den- Daher-Socata Garmin upgrade © 2014 AIN Publications. All Rights Reserved. For Reprints go to www.ainonline.com that the airplane’s lone customer, the sity configuration.

38 Aviation International News • November 2014 • www.ainonline.com