Australian light utility aircraft manufacturer Gippsland Aeronautics believes that it could increase production of its new utility passenger and agricultural aircraft to around 200 a year by 2002.
Managing director George Morgan says assessments suggest an unexpectedly large market for piston-powered commercial utility aircraft. Morgan believes "bush operators" have been overlooked by major manufacturers who have focused on turbine power, which imposes high fixed costs on typically low-utilisation operations.
Gippsland had earlier hoped to sell the developed project to an established manufacturer, but has switched its strategy, with support from local and State governments anxious to retain the manufacturing business.
Morgan expects the production mix to be about 150 of the company's nine-seat GA-8 passenger/ cargo Airvans, and 50 of its GA-200 low-wing, side by side seat, agricultural aircraft, which he says have met unexpected demand in Asian markets with fast growing agricultural aviation sectors and a national need to train pilots.
The GA-8, now with about 90% of its Australian certification completed to US Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 23 standards, is expected to sell for about the same price as Cessna's six-seat C206. The aircraft is in demand in Australia, China, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and the USA, says Morgan. "We've been quite surprised at the level of interest in a moderately priced single piston-powered utility aircraft, especially from commercial operators," he says.
GA, which has had to drop plans for certification based on a 225kW (300 hp) Textron Lycoming-powered IO-580 following powerplant certification setbacks, will certify the GA-8 with Lycoming's more conventional O-540 engine, and will later seek recertification with the O-580. Although the same power can be developed using the older engine, that approach may delay sales in Europe because the O-540 cannot meet noise compliance specifications at the higher propeller revolutions required to meet specified performance.
The company has also identified a market for a turbocharged variant to meet the needs of such "hot and high' operations as those in South America and Papua New Guinea; and has conducted preliminary studies on a stretched 11-seat turbine-powered version. The turboprop variant would use an Allison C20 with a Soloy gearbox.
Source: Flight International
