Aircraft

Italian manufacturer expects late 2006 certification for dual-piloted aircraft

Italian general aviation manufacturer Iniziative Industriali is developing a new four-seater, tandem-fuselage aircraft that could be used for public security surveillance and environmental monitoring applications.

The Twin Arrow will have a maximum take-off weight of 1,230kg (2,700lb) and be able to operate from short runways and from water, the company says.

The aircraft will be fitted with instrumentation for flying at night, with a digital map display and an all-weather landing system, including differential GPS and laser altimeter. The twin-engined, tandem fuselage design of the aircraft will allow it to perform long missions over urban areas carrying a large amount of fuel, the company says.

The aircraft, which incorporates two fuselages linked by a central wing section, will require two pilots and will also be fitted with an autopilot system. The company already manufactures the SkyArrow family of two-seater composite aircraft, used for basic training and leisure applications.

The Twin Arrow could be used for environmental research and surveillance applications using Iniziative Industriali’s RAWAS (remotely assisted working aerial system) aerial monitoring system.

The company also has plans for a four-seater composite aircraft, the F300, that could be used for civil and military applications.

Chief executive Luciana Bor­tolotti-Lauri says the aircraft is expected to be certificated by the end of 2006. It will have a maximum take-off weight of 1,550kg and cruise at 180kt (335km/h).

HELEN MASSY-BERESFORD/ROME