Kate Sarsfield Backers are being sought for a Brazilian basic trainer which its designer says has attracted attention from several potential customers.
Joseph Kovacs, who led design of the Brazilian Neiva Universal and Embraer Tucano trainers, has built and flown a prototype of his K-51 Peregrino. His son, Andr‚ Kovacs, is now seeking a company willing to put the tandem-seat aircraft into production as a civil and military primary trainer.
The K-51 resembles the larger Tucano, but with fixed taildragger gear and a piston engine. The prototype is powered by a 150kW (200hp) Textron Lycoming engine, giving a cruise speed of 170kt (315km/h), and is built from a mix of wood, metal and composites. Kovacs also designed the K-51 for possible availability as a kitplane.
Design features include staggered tandem seating under a single-piece canopy to improve instructor visibility, combined flap and aileron deflection to reduce stall speed, and inverted flight capability. It is designed to be aerobatic and has a 940kg (2,070lb) maximum take-off weight. The prototype flew for the first time on 29 November.
Source: Flight International
