Australian manufacturer eyes New Mexico line in effort to break into new market
Surveillance aircraft manufacturer Seabird Aviation plans to establish a production line in New Mexico, USA in the next 12 to 18 months, as it steps up efforts to break into the Americas.
The Australian manufacturer has had one of its Seeker SBL-360As in the USA since late last year performing demonstrations to potential customers in the border patrol, homeland security and police sectors.
The Seeker is a fixed-wing, two-seater powered by a Textron Lycoming 0-360 engine. It has a helicopter-style cockpit, an 880km (475nm) range and can fly at low altitude and slow speed, making it ideal for low-level observation work such as law enforcement, border patrol and powerline inspection.
The Queensland-based company's US division, Seabird Aviation America, is currently putting together a funding package to establish manufacturing in New Mexico, says Peter Adams, managing director of Seabird Aviation Australia. There is considerable interest in the aircraft in the Americas, says Adams.
Meanwhile, there is growing interest in the aircraft from the local Australian market, with three Seekers currently under construction set for local customers. Seabird is also working towards European certification of the aircraft. It had been hoping that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia would secure a bilateral agreement with EASA on certification, but progress on that has been slow.
Earlier this month the company secured Indian type approval, while Seabird's Middle East joint venture, Seabird Aviation Jordan, has recently picked up sales in Yemen and South Africa.
Source: Flight International
