Czech manufacturers Moravan Aeroplanes and Letecké Z vody (LZ, formerly Let) rolled out the Zlºn Z-400 utility aircraft late last month from LZ's Kunovice, Czech Republic, facilities. The eight-seat convertible aircraft will start test flights this month from Kunovice.
The Z-400 is modelled on the Technoavia SM-92 Finist utility aircraft, the plans of which Moravan purchased for around $500,000 from Russian designer Vyatcheslav Kondratyev, with an anonymous Canadian investment. Libor Soska, chief executive of the Moravan and LZ joint holding company, says that the 450kW (600hp) Orenda Recip OE600-powered Z-400 also incorporates elements from Zlºn's aerobatic aircraft design and the Let L-410 twin turboprop.
The cost of developing the Z-400, with a 16-man team working 10 months, has been approximately $1 million, says Soska. "We think we will see a return on investment once we sell just several dozen," he says.
Moravan vice-chairman Tom s Stef nek says the manufacturer aims to certificate the aircraft by the end of this year, with serial production to follow in the first half of 2003. Launch customer for the 26 million koruna ($700,000) aircraft is a Canadian oil company, and Stef nek says there is strong interest in the Middle East and South-East Asia.
More than 30 suppliers from the Czech Republic will participate in the aircraft's production.
Source: Flight International
