LANCAIR International has formed a joint venture with a Malaysian partner to certificate and produce the Lancair ES four-seat, all-composite, light aircraft. The fixed-gear ES is now available as a kitplane and the certificated aircraft is expected to be available within 18 months.
Lancair says that it was looking for $12 million to certificate the ES and tool up for production. The unnamed Malaysian partner will fabricate subassemblies for final assembly by Lancair at a new factory in Redmond, Oregon, alongside the company's present site, where kitplane manufacture will continue. Alaska and Saskatchewan also made bids to host the new plant, which will have the capacity to build 500 aircraft a year.
The ES will sell for $135,000, including 165kW (210hp) Teledyne Continental IO-360 engine and AlliedSignal Bendix/ King instrument-flight-rules avionics. The aircraft will offer the economy of a Cessna 172 with the load-carrying capability of a Cessna 182 and the speed of a Beech Bonanza, Lancair claims. The company has sold around 60 ES kits.
Source: Flight International
