KATE SARSFIELD / LONDON
Single-engine, 10-seat turboprop offered as 'serious alternative' to Cessna Caravan
VulcanAir will start taking orders for its VF600 Mission single-engine turboprop in June, nine months ahead of planned certification and first deliveries of the 10-seat aircraft. The Italian manufacturer is also rejuvenating its product line as it seeks to gain a larger share of the international business and general aviation market.
"We began flight-testing Mission late last year but we wanted to make sure that we had a certifiable aircraft before we started taking orders," says Remo de Feo, founder of VulcanAir's US sales and marketing operation, and sales director of the privately owned company. "We plan to take the aircraft to the Paris air show in June, where it will make its debut."
The Mission is targeted at small companies, including charter and fractional ownership operators as well as regional and cargo carriers. VulcanAir plans to offer a 14-seat version for the US market, taking advantage of "special" US regulations that allow more than 10 passengers to be carried, says de Feo.
The Walter M601F-11-powered Mission is a "serious alternative" to the Cessna Caravan, he says, offering the same performance as the single-turboprop stalwart but with a lower price of around $1 million. "The aircraft will be offered with a standard interior initially and we plan to outsource the VIP cabin completions to a specialist company," says de Feo.
The Mission is the latest addition to the VulcanAir line, which also includes the P68 range of piston-twin utility aircraft that covers the Observer law enforcement aircraft and P68C and P68TC commercial types. "We want to increase sales of the P68 line in Europe, Africa, Russia and Asia and have decided to offer a diesel variant to make the aircraft more affordable to operate," says de Feo.
The P68 will be powered by the 170kW (230hp) SMA SR305-230 diesel engine "which can run on Jet A fuel and is less expensive than 100 octane low-lead aviation gasoline", he adds.
To accommodate the new engines, VulcanAir is making a number of changes to the aircraft, including enlarging the engine cowlings and installing bigger propellers. Certification and first deliveries are planned for the first quarter of next year. The Naples-based company currently has about 20 orders for the P68 line.
Source: Flight International
