IPE Aeronaves recently disclosed details of its new IPE-10Ag agricultural aircraft, which flew in prototype form in October last year.
Curitiba-based IPE plans to begin certification work early this year and says it will launch series production with local company Planair Aeroespacial.
Development work on the low-wing agricultural aircraft kicked off in March 2006. IPE later opted to make extensive use of composite materials throughout the airframe - removing the standard aluminium tube truss.
The IPE-10Ag is powered by a 300hp (224kW) Textron Lycoming IO-540 piston engine although an ethanol fuel engine is also planned. The aircraft is equipped with a 1,200 litres (320USgal) hopper - larger than the systems found on other agricultural aircraft in its class, IPE says.
The IPE-10Ag will be targeted at Brazil's burgeoning agricultural aircraft market, for which IPE anticipates building 120 units in its sixth year of series production.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
