El Gavilan has sold its Gavilan 358 utility aircraft type certificate to Advanced Wing Technologies (AWT) of Canada.
The Colombian company will continue to build labour-intensive parts for the twin-engined aircraft, which will be shipped to AWT's base in Richmond, British Columbia, for final assembly.
Under the terms of the sale, El Gavilan will build sub-assemblies for the piston-engined aircraft for five years.
"The sale gives the company an opportunity to launch itself into this market, as it has an abundance of skilled labour and experience, and plenty of room to take on extra work," says Eric Lever, consultant to El Gavilan and AWT.
El Gavilan has been seeking a strategic partner in North America for some time. This is due to the lack of a bilateral agreement between the two nations and the Federal Aviation Administration's reluctance to recognise the quality assurance of the production plant in Bogota.
"Gavilan has always believed that by selling the 358 in North America, sales could increase from 10 aircraft a year now to around 50 a year in the fourth full year of production," adds Lever.
The company plans to start assembly in January, following Transport Canada approval for its Gavilan production line.
AWT is targeting passenger and utility aircraft operators in Western Canada and Alaska, where it believes there is a market for the seven-seat aircraft. AWT is also planning a new version of the 358.
The aircraft, which will be in addition to the standard version, is scheduled for US certification by the Federal Aviation Administration in early 2002.
The new version will offer overall increases in weight and payload. The maximum take-off weight, for example, will be increased by 318kg to 2,360kg (5,200lb) with few, if any, changes made to the design, says Lever.
Source: Flight International
