Manufacturers vie for bigger corporate market share
Single-engine turboprop manufacturers are launching a series of product enhancements and marketing initiatives to boost sales and strengthen their share of the corporate aircraft market.
EADS Socata and New Piper have unveiled heavier versions of their aircraft, taking advantage of new US Federal Aviation Administration regulations on increased stall speeds.
Socata is launching two new variants, the TBM700-C2 for the USA and TBM700-C1 for non-FAA aligned territories. St‚phane Bernard, chief executive of Socata Aircraft, says that 12 years after the initial type certification the weight of equipment has driven the useful payload down to a level that is hampering range.
The new aircraft, which have reinforced wing struts, 20g seats and 10-ply tyres, have an increased maximum take-off weight of 3,360kg (7,395lb), compared to 2,990kg on the current 700B. This leads to an increase in usable payload to 410kg, with a 2,190km (1,185nm) range flying at a slightly slower 255kt (470km/h).
The aircraft is undergoing flight testing at Socata's Tarbes facility and is set for FAA approval in October, followed by delivery of the first of 10 aircraft in November.
The 700B will be discontinued, but customers in Joint Aviation Authorities countries will be offered the same model without the 20g seats until Europe reviews stall speed regulations.
New Piper plans to increase the useful load on its six-seat Malibu Meridian by about 15%. The aircraft's maximum take-off weight has been raised from 2,200kg to 2,310kg, with a resulting 105kg increase in useful load.
Meanwhile, Ibis Aerospace has suspended development of the baseline Ae-270P high-speed turboprop in favour of rapid certification of a higher-power variant aimed at the corporate market. Ibis president Jiri Fidransky says a decision to "switch priorities" to the executive version Ae-270HP was taken after consulting customers of the existing 69 orders, including launch customer CDC Propjet Aviation of South Africa. The Ae-270HP is powered by the 633kW (850hp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66, rather than the originally specified PT6A-42.
The Czech-Taiwanese joint venture says its distributors see VIP owner-flyers as the immediate market. The $2.2 million Ae-270P is aimed at air taxi and freight operators and is "not dead", says Fidransky, but its development is slowing down the $2.4 million HP variant.
The HP, which has a cruising altitude of 27,000ft (8,235m), has split passenger doors and a higher pressure differential than the P, but has the same airframe. The Ae-270HP has amassed 180h in flight tests and the fifth prototype, fitted with the -66 engine, is due to fly by the end of the year. European certification is on target for next year, says Ibis.
In Switzerland, Pilatus Aircraft says 80% of its fleet is owner-flown and it is seeking to expand its VIP customer base. Pilatus marketing vice-president Tom Aniello says: "We are attempting to gain a greater corporate share and make the PC-12 an incremental addition to existing turbine fleets."
Pilatus has unveiled seven new VIP interiors for its PC-12. Designed by BMW Design Works of California, each interior will cost about $250,000 on top of the standard PC-12 price tag of $2.7 million, says Pilatus.
The Stans, Switzerland-based manufacturer has also announced two maintenance support programmes for PC-12 operators under the ServiceWorx brand.
Source: Flight International
