FAA certification of short take-off and landing M28 twin turboprop opens opportunities for Polish manufacturer
Skytruck, the US-based sales and marketing arm for the PZL-Meilec M28 Skytruck, is stepping up its marketing effort in North America and the Caribbean, following Federal Aviation Administration approval last month for the short take-off and landing twin-turboprop. The M28 is the first commuter aircraft from Poland to receive FAA FAR Part 23 certification.
The Antonov An-28-based Skytruck underwent 40,000 design changes to meet Western standards, says Skytruck president Lance Maclean. These include replacing the PZL Rzeszów TW10 engines with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6s, the installation of a forward passenger door and Honeywell Bendix/King avionics.
Lockheed Martin provided engineering and marketing expertise for the programme as part of an offset agreement from the sale of 48 F-16 fighters to Poland last year. The agreement stipulates the sale of 100 M28s in 10 years, which Lockheed Martin has appointed Naples, Florida-based Skytruck to secure.
"We have had our hands tied behind our back for years," Maclean says. "But following US approval new markets have opened up for the aircraft."
The final assembly facility can accommodate 20 aircraft, but Skytruck plans to double production as demand grows. To bolster sales, Skytruck is establishing a North American dealer network starting, Maclean says, with four bases, including Alaska.
Today, the world M28 fleet exceeds 50 aircraft, with most aircraft operated in Latin America, including Colombia, Panama and Venezuela. Skytruck has over 20 letters of intent (LoI) for the $3.5 million aircraft, which is marketed as a de Havilland Twin Otter replacement and targeted at the homeland security, commuter, cargo and air ambulance markets.
"We expect to convert two LoI from a French Guiana-based launch customer [Air Guyane] into firm orders," says Maclean. The company is seeking to secure French civil aviation authority approval for the aircraft in the fourth quarter, leading to first deliveries early next year.
Maclean says Skytruck plans to offer a float- or ski-equipped version.
KATE SARSFIELD / LONDON
Source: Flight International
