Australian light aircraft manufacturer Gippsland Aeronautics will boost production of its GA-8 Airvan three-fold next year from 12 per year, with a target of 50 units annually by 2005.
The company says that demand for the GA-8 has convinced the company to enlarge its facilities at Latrobe Valley regional airport outside Melbourne from 420m2 (4,500ft2) to 745m2.
Managing director Michael Hall has talked with potential Indian and Chinese subcontractors. "We'd start them out on relatively basic components we're likely to see the transfer to more advanced components over perhaps a five year phasing-in plan," he says.
The eight seat GA-8, priced at around A$600,000 ($310,000), already in service in Australia for tourist operations.
Gippsland is also developing a stretched ten-seat turboprop military version which will be powered by Allison 250 or Pratt & Whitney PT6A 400hp (300kN) engines, which it expects to be flying by the end of next year.
Source: Flight International
