VIDEO and STORY: Tecnam nabs FAA nod for Rotax Twin

Italian airframer Tecnam has received US FAA type certification for its P2006T four-seat Rotax-powered twin, a development the company says could spark new interest in the small aircraft air taxi market.

"Many customers didn't want to fly in SATS-type aircraft because of the single engine," says Ben Young, vice president of business development and marketing with Tecnam North America, "With the P2006T, you have a similar price point and performance of the Cirrus, but with another engine."

Tecnam North America, the Italian airframer's marketing and distribution operation here, is selling the P2006T for $$424,900 with an analogue instrument suite and $484,000 with a Garmin G950 integrated flight deck. According to FAA certification documents, the unpressurized, normally aspirated aircraft has a maximum cruise speed of 135kt and altitude of 14,000ft and is not certified for flight into known icing (FIKI).

Here's a video I made on a test flight of a demonstrator aircraft in Richmond, Virginia last year.