JUSTIN WASTNAGE / FRIEDRICHSHAFEN
Flight tests of the Extra Flugzeugbau EA-500 business turboprop are set to resume early next month as the German manufacturer emerges from insolvency. A team of business consultants are confident that a refinancing deal with one of four potential investors will be concluded within 2-6 weeks.
Corvin Huber, newly-appointed aviation business development consultant for Extra, says: "The administrator has continued full production of the aerobatic line and maintained capability on the business aviation line while pursuing a preferred investor solution that includes the assumption that the EA-500 will be certificated by the end of the year."
Flight testing of the turboprop variant of the EA-400 six-seat piston business aircraft was put on hold in January following the company´s entry into voluntary insolvency.
Extra says all critical EA-500 ground tests have been completed, including turbine inlet icing tests, and estimates that the aircraft needs an additional 50-70 flight hours for full German LBA certification before the end of the year.
Source: Flight International
