Aircraft

Italian manufacturer Oma Sud hopes to fly its Skycar general aviation piston twin in June next year.

The company has completed the design of the five-seater and is conducting static tests, says president Valter Proietti. He adds that production of the aircraft, which has a twin-boom pusher configuration, is likely to begin in 2007, immediately after certification.

The company could produce 24-30 Skycars a year and could expand its facilities in Capua, Italy, if demand for the aircraft exceeds initial expectations.

Oma Sud is collaborating with Israel Aircraft Industries, which is providing the avionics and glass cockpit for the aircraft. “We expect a great demand for twin-engined general aviation aircraft, and the models available are old,” Proietti says. The aircraft could also be used for air ambulance, search and rescue and flight-training school operations, Proietti says.

The interior is based on the design of a car for “easy layout and operations”, the company says, adding that it is “characterised by improved passenger comfort due to the increased available space and lower internal noise”. The interior can also be changed easily from the air-taxi to the cargo version.

The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 1,900kg (4,180lb) and is powered by two 200hp (150kW) Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 piston engines. It can transport its maximum payload of 500kg over 1,050km (570nm) at 173kt.

HELEN MASSY-BERESFORD/LONDON