Tiger Aircraft is in talks with Chengdu Aircraft on assembling the former Grumman AG-5B Tiger four-seat light aircraft in China. But reports that Chengdu has signed an agreement covering production of 200 aircraft are dismissed by the Taiwan-backed US aircraft manufacturer.
"There have been negotiations, but we are not close to announcing anything," says chief operating officer Gene Criss. Chengdu has purchased a Tiger to evaluate how it would fit into the Chinese pilot training regime, he says.
Based in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Tiger is 30%-owned by US company Teleflex, with Taiwanese investors holding the rest. Production of the AG-5B restarted last year, and the company will have delivered 16 aircraft by the end of this year. Tiger hopes to hold production steady at three a month for next year, despite the depressed market.
Sales so far have been for private use, but Criss says the Tiger makes a good trainer. "It is easy to fly, with good visibility, fixed gear and good speed. It's well-rounded." Local reports suggest Chengdu, part of state-owned China Aviation Industry (AVIC) I, plans to assemble aircraft for both the domestic Chinese and US markets.
Source: Flight International
