Piaggio’s new Pratt & Whitney PT6-66B-powered P180 Avanti II set a new speed record when it flew into Atlanta on Saturday, adding to 18 speed records already set by the baseline P180.
Flown by Piaggio America chief pilot Arthur St Clair, the Avanti II covered the 397nm (734km) between Indianapolis and Atlanta at an average speed of 300kt (555km/h) – cruising at close to the aircraft’s 402kt maximum speed.
The machine was slowed by some speed restrictions and by vectors demanded by air traffic control.
Piaggio points to the record as evidence of its claim that the Avanti is the “fastest business turboprop in the world”, narrowing the gap between it and the light business jets.
Source: Flight Daily News
