Piaggio Aerospace has delivered the first Avanti Evo, four months after receiving certification for the third iteration of its P180 twin-pusher and less than a year after launching the type.
The aircraft was handed over on 20 April to an unnamed Greek customer that plans to deploy the seven-seat type for charter operations.
Piaggio chief executive Carlo Logli hailed the handover as a "significiant milestone" for the Italian airframer –a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi's state investment arm Mubadala – adding that a further fiveaircraft will be delivered this year "to customers in the US, Asia and Europe".
The $7.4 million Evo is an upgrade of the 10-year-old Avanti II, featuring a revamped and quieter interior, enhanced safety features and increased performance – thanks to new winglets, redesigned engine nacelles, a reshaped front wing and five-bladed composite scimitar propellers.
The Evo also has new landing gear. Built by Italy’s Magnaghi, the system has a 10,000-cycle/15-year overhaul interval, compared with the Avanti II’s Dowty landing gear, which has a 6,000-cycle/12 year overhaul interval.
Source: Flight International
