Gippsland Aeronautics is awaiting US Federal Aviation Administration certification of its eight-seat utility Airvan GA-8 which it plans to market at the same price as the six-seat Cessna 206.
The first GA-8 has entered service with Australian tourism operator Fraser Island Air, which has already ordered a second aircraft and says it expects eventually to operate four. Gippsland co-director George Morgan says the company is holding firm orders for eight aircraft including exports to Canada and South Africa.
The company is initially producing one aircraft every six weeks, which will step up to one every four weeks by mid-year, and it expects soon to increase production further. There is strong interest in the USA, where the GA-8 is distributed by J&C Aviation of Oklahoma, says Gipperland.
Cessna vice-president marketing Phil Michel says, meanwhile, there is a "significant market gap" between the Cessna 206 utility and its entry-level twinjets, and is studying options to fill it.
He adds that such aircraft are likely to be turbine-powered and at the higher end of the power output of current piston engines and that "interesting engines are now becoming available" to power the development.
Source: Flight International
