Ibis Aerospace has set November 12th as the rollout date for the first Ae270 10-passenger, single-turboprop multimission aircraft. Ibis, a joint venture owned in equal shares by Aero Vodochody of the Czech Republic and AIDC of Taiwan, expects to begin deliveries of the Ae270 in late 2001.

The rollout date is also the 80th anniversary of the Aero Vodochody company, which is partially owned by Boeing through the U.S. company's Czech subsidiary, Boeing Ceska. Boeing is supporting Aero Vodochody's modernization program and provides the avionics for the latest version of the company's L-159 advanced trainer. Five production L-159s are to be delivered to the Czech air force on the same day as the Ae270 rollout.

The Ae270 will be delivered in two versions: the pressurized Ae270P, with an 850 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A and retractable landing gear; and the unpressurized, fixed-gear Ae270W with a Czech-built Walter M601F rated at 670 shp.

Ibis Aerospace has established a marketing office in Kerrville, Texas, to oversee its newly established worldwide sales and support network for the Ae270.