FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 0740.PDF
Directory: business aircraft Raytheon expects to finally clinch certification this year for its super mid-size Hawker Horizon Navajo, which made its first flight last year. The project suffered a setback early in the year following the withdrawal of Russian design house Tekhnoavia after a business dispute. Tekhnoavia claims it did not get paid by Intracom despite fulfilling the terms of the contract. Russia's Smolensk production plant is continuing to work on the Viper and has already converted two Navajo airframes. A third airframe is nearly complete and conversion of a fourth is under way. Few changes have been made to the original model. The basic wing shape remains unaltered following removal, although winglets have been added. The nose has been extended to accommodate the turboprop engine, a small fillet has been added to the horizontal stabiliser and the Viper has a new ventral fin. Intracom is in discussion with other Russian design houses to complete the research and devel opment work. Intracom and Smolensk plan to build a stretched version of the Viper called the GM-17XL. Myasishchev Experimental Machinery Building Plant 140160, Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, Russia Website www.m101t.ru Myasishchev received Russian AP-23 type certification for its M-101T Gzhel 18 months ago, although the development programme has suffered several setbacks since its inception in the late 1980s. A redesign of the airframe following prelimi nary flight-test results and a crash-landing of a flight-test aircraft have contributed to the delays. The Russian company plans to deliver the first aircraft by July. The six-seat Gzhel is priced at about $1.3 million and is pow ered by a 750hp Walter 601F turboprop and is designed to operate from short unpaved airfields. 2926 Piper Drive, Vera Beach, Florida 32960, USA Tel +1 (561) 567 4361 Fax +1 (561) 778 2144 Website www.newpiper.com New Piper offers the Meridian single- engined turboprop, a derivative of the Mirage high-performance piston single. The manufacturer, which has seen sales drop across its range, was sold last year to American Capital Strategies and, with new investment, plans sweeping upgrades across its general aviation aircraft product line as well as new ventures to boost orders and raise the profile of its piston and tur bine types, this could include the introduc tion of a regional fractional-ownership programme supported by its US dealer net work. Two pilot schemes operating Saratoga and Malibu Meridian types are in operation in the west and south-east USA. New Piper continues to evaluate new products, including a twin-engined busi ness jet, but any aircraft launch is at least two years away. The US company has increased the use ful load on its six-seat Malibu Meridian by about 15%. The aircraft's maximum take off weight has been raised from 2,200kg to 2,310kg, with a resulting 105kg increase in useful load. Piaggio Aero Industries, Via Cibrario 4, Genoa 1-16154, Italy Tel +39 (010) 64811 Fax +39 (010) 6520160 The wholly Italian-owned company is to revamp the cockpit of its PI80 Avanti twin-pusher turboprop with Rockwell Collins Proline avionics. The upgrade will boost the appeal of the seven-seat aircraft, allowing it to compete against the new generation of light business jets, including the Bombardier Learjet 40, and medium turboprops, including the TBM 700. Despite the planned upgrade, Piaggio has already generated strong sales of the Avanti, most recently from fractional-own ership programmes. Early this month the company received its largest order yet for 19 Avantis from New York fractional Avantair, on top of its existing order for 14 aircraft. The deal brings Piaggio's order tally to 52 and the company plans to increase pro duction from 18 aircraft this year to 22 in 2005. Piaggio has sold an Avanti to govern ment-funded Polish air-rescue service Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe. The deal is Piaggio's first government sale outside Italy and its first within eastern Europe for more than a decade. PILATUS AIRCRAFT Flugzeugwerke, Stans CH6371, Switzerland Tel +41 (41) 619 6296 Fax +41 (41) 619 6224 Website www.pilatus-aircraft.com The privately owned Swiss company man ufactures the PC-12 single-engined turbo prop. Bucking the downward trend in 2003, Pilatus reported strong demand for its PC-12, delivering 61 aircraft worldwide. The 35% increase over the 45 shipped in 2002 was driven by the strong activity in the corporate and owner-flown segments during the second half of the year, Pilates says. The Swiss company is also seeing strong interest in the government and spe cial-mission markets in Australia, Europe, Mexico, South Africa and the USA for its PC-12 Spectre. 10511 E Central, PO Box 85, Wichita, Kansas 67201-0085, USA Tel +1 (316) 676 8674 Fax +1 (316) 676 5687 Website www.raytheon.com/rac Raytheon's aircraft subsidiary brings together the Beechcraft and Hawker brand names. The Beechcraft line-up includes the piston-powered Beech Baron and Bonanza, King Air twin turboprops and the entry- level Premier I jet. The Hawker line consists of the revamped Hawker 400XP (formerly Beechjet 400), mid-size 800XP and Horizon super mid-size business jets. The Horizon programme has had numerous delays since its launch in 1996, when the aircraft was scheduled for delivery in 2001. The fourth and final Hawker Horizon, which is outfitted with an interior, entered the flight-test programme early this month. The aircraft will conduct FAA func tion and reliability testing. Certification and first deliveries of at least two aircraft are expected later this year. In an effort to boost sales of the King Air twin-turboprop family Raytheon is installing the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 cockpit in its King Air 200 and 350 at no extra cost. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 18-24 MAY 2004 73
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
