|
Piaggio Avanti II to Debut in Mid-2006
Last week, Piaggio celebrated the rollout of its 100th twin-pusher P180 Avanti at its production facility in Genoa, and now potential customers are eagerly awaiting rollout of the 2006 Avanti II, the faster climbing and faster cruising, more flexible and better equipped successor to the original aircraft.
The original model, first certified in 1990, offered jet-like speeds, a midsize cabin and turboprop fuel economy. It could fly as high as 41,000 feet, as fast as 395 KTAS in the mid-thirties and as far as 1,700 nmi when slowed to 315 KTAS. It won numerous FAI speed records in class, as well as plaudits from pundits who raved about its fuel efficiency, cabin comfort and low interior noise levels, due in large part to the pusher prop configuration and aluminum fuselage construction. It also was just plain fun to fly, because of its control harmony and stability, based upon our numerous experiences in the cockpit.
Seating up to nine passengers, the Avanti offered 5.8 feet of maximum headroom, 6.1 feet of maximum width and 14.1 feet of cabin length. The cabin cross section compared favorably with a Learjet 45. Its fuel miserliness made other twin turboprops look like gas-guzzlers.
The $6.27 million Avanti II, which starts at S/N 105, will offer all of that, plus it will be fitted with PT6A-66B turboprops rated at 1,630 thp, up from 1,485 thp for the -66A engines fitted to the original aircraft. While the 850-hp flat-rating is retained, the -66B engines have a higher flat-rating, thereby offering better hot-and-high takeoff performance, faster climb times and higher cruise speeds.
Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics will add new cockpit capabilities and reduce EOW by as much as 150 lbs. The avionics package also will include L3 Landmark 8000 Class B TAWS, L3 TCAS I, twin RVSM certified DADCs and optional Honeywell Airsat Iridium satcom. Piaggio will increase MTOW to 12,050 lbs, a 500-lb increase, thus endowing the aircraft with a full-tanks, full-seats capability when equipped with most popular options. Maximum zero fuel weight will be boosted by 300 lbs, to 9,800 lbs.
Look for the public debut of Avanti II at this year’s NBAA convention in New Orleans. — Fred George
back
to ShowNews home
|
