The Russian start-up behind an eight-seat amphibian priced at under $1 million is looking to make waves with cost-conscious operators at ILA.
Aerovolga, set up six years ago in the Volga aerospace heartland of Samara, is appearing at its first air show outside Russia. The company has built six of the LA-8 composite/titanium twinprops, which can be powered by overwing Czech-built Lom Praha M-337C engines or more expensive Lycoming O-540s.
Three LA-8s are operating in Russia under experimental type certificates, and are not permitted to fly commercially, but Aerovolga is confident of securing full Russian certification by 2012, followed by European approval, says the company's sales representative Alafinov Georges.
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He says the 11.1m (36.4ft)-long aircraft - which is not appearing at ILA - has a significant price advantage over its competitors, the Cessna Caravan and the Dornier Seaplane Seastar. Its composite design makes it resistent to seawater corrosion, while its boat-shaped hull means it is more stable landing in water even if landing gear is inadvertently deployed.
The aircraft can take off from a 450m stretch of water fully laden and has a range of 1,300km (700nm). It is priced at between $900,000 and $1.2 million, depending on engine and configuration.
Source: Flight Daily News
