O f all the subsegments of the general aviation mar- ket, the turboprop field is the only one not experi- encing an increase in new development. At airshow after airshow, very light jets, personal single-engine jets, more powerful piston singles and light sport airplanes have seen the greatest amount of activity. Although turboprops are one of the most efficient ways to fly, they are not the shining stars of most product development departments. The only bright spots in new turboprop designs are Quest’s Kodiak, the only new clean-sheet turboprop recently FAA certified, and projects inspired by the amateur-built airplane community, such as Epic’s sleek Dynasty and Comp Air’s massive Model 12. None of the traditional OEMs– Cessna, EADS Socata, Hawker Beechcraft, Pilatus, Piper or Piaggio–is publicly working on any new turboprop designs. Hawker Beechcraft did announce two new derivative King Air models earlier this year, and Pilatus is near certification of its upgraded PC-12, but for the most part, activities in the turboprop world are fairly static. What is not static in the turboprop segment, however, are sales. Turboprops are one of the stronger players in what has been a fairly robust new-aircraft sales market during the past few years. The latest figures from the Gen- eral Aviation Manufacturers Association show that through the second quarter of this year, turboprop shipments climbed over the same period last year. In fact, every OEM selling current business aviation turboprops saw an increase in shipments, to a total of 105 in the second quarter of this year from 77 in the first quarter. Turboprop shipments even outpaced jets in the first half, with ship- ments up 15.2 percent over the first half of last year. Jet shipments climbed 14.7 percent in the same period this year. Why is there so much design and manufacturing activity focused on jets when turboprops clearly remain popular and offer lower operating costs and greater efficiency? Has tur- boprop design hit a plateau? Will the single-engine personal jet market take off next? As always, the marketplace deter- mines the outcome, and in the next few years as personal jets achieve certification and entry into service, we will see if they displace airplanes such as the TBM 850 and smaller King Airs or if they create a new market segment of their own. 20aaAviation International News • September 2007 • www.ainonline.com new turboprops by Matt Thurber Developers persevere, and mark some milestones Epic Dynasty MATT THURBER
Transcript
Of all the subsegments of the general aviation mar-ket, the turboprop field is the only one not experi-encing an increase in new development. Atairshow after airshow, very light jets, personalsingle-engine jets, more powerful piston singles
and light sport airplanes have seen the greatest amount ofactivity. Although turboprops are one of the most efficientways to fly, they are not the shining stars of most productdevelopment departments.
The only bright spots in new turboprop designs areQuest’s Kodiak, the only new clean-sheet turboprop recentlyFAA certified, and projects inspired by the amateur-builtairplane community, such as Epic’s sleek Dynasty and CompAir’s massive Model 12. None of the traditional OEMs–Cessna, EADS Socata, Hawker Beechcraft, Pilatus, Piper orPiaggio–is publicly working on any new turboprop designs.Hawker Beechcraft did announce two new derivative KingAir models earlier this year, and Pilatus is near certificationof its upgraded PC-12, but for the most part, activities in theturboprop world are fairly static.
What is not static in the turboprop segment, however,
are sales. Turboprops are one of the stronger players inwhat has been a fairly robust new-aircraft sales marketduring the past few years. The latest figures from the Gen-eral Aviation Manufacturers Association show that throughthe second quarter of this year, turboprop shipmentsclimbed over the same period last year. In fact, every OEMselling current business aviation turboprops saw anincrease in shipments, to a total of 105 in the secondquarter of this year from 77 in the first quarter. Turbopropshipments even outpaced jets in the first half, with ship-ments up 15.2 percent over the first half of last year. Jetshipments climbed 14.7 percent in the same period this year.
Why is there so much design and manufacturing activityfocused on jets when turboprops clearly remain popular andoffer lower operating costs and greater efficiency? Has tur-boprop design hit a plateau? Will the single-engine personaljet market take off next? As always, the marketplace deter-mines the outcome, and in the next few years as personal jetsachieve certification and entry into service, we will see if theydisplace airplanes such as the TBM 850 and smaller KingAirs or if they create a new market segment of their own.
20aaAviation International News • September 2007 • www.ainonline.com
new turboprops
by Matt Thurber
Developers persevere, and mark some milestones
Epic Dynasty
MAT
T TH
UR
BE
R
in flight-test
COMP AIR 12Early flight testing of Comp Air’s
Model 12 single-engine turboprop re-vealed the need for some changes. The de-sign philosophy of the airplane centersaround the engine, according to Comp AirCEO Ron Lueck, who designed the air-plane around the largest turboprop enginehe could find. Honeywell’s 1,650-shpTPE331-14GR is 25 percent more effi-cient than a comparable-sized Pratt &Whitney Canada PT6, he said.
The all-composite Comp Air 12 is de-signed to carry a full load of fuel and eightpeople (including the pilot) 2,535 nm withreserves. Total capacity will be a maxi-mum of 10 people, including one pilot, andthe interior will feature a lavatory. Priceshould be less than $3 million, Lueck said,and FAA certification and entry into serv-ice is planned for the first quarter of 2010.
Lueck flew the prototype Comp Air tothe Sun ’n’ Fun show in April, its first pub-lic appearance, then to EAA AirVenture inOshkosh in late July. At Oshkosh, he notedthat the production-conforming Comp Air12 will have a fuselage 42 inches longerand four inches wider to better match thecontours of the engine and cowling. Thehorizontal stabilizer will also grow by 150percent, he said. The first Comp Air 12conforming to the revised design shouldfly by the end of the year.
Honeywell will likely be the Comp Air12’s avionics supplier, with its Apex suite,the same choice that Pilatus made for the upgraded PC-12, Lueck revealed. “Theonly real competition [for the Comp Air12] is the PC-12,” he said at Oshkosh.
Lueck plans to mount strain gauges in-side the airframe to provide a real-timeview of the forces on the airframe. Thissystem will store up to 100 hours of infor-mation and help when it comes time tovalidate the airframe life to the FAA duringthe certification process, he explained.
Comp Air might build a production
facility for the Model 12 near its head-quarters in Merritt Island, Fla., but wouldalso be willing to look elsewhere. “Iwould like to stay in Florida,” he said,“but it’s not a necessity.”
EPIC DYNASTYEpic Aircraft has taken an un-
usual route to certification of newairplanes, launching various mod-els as amateur-built versions thenusing the data accumulated as theowner-built airplanes gain flightexperience to tweak the final de-sign of the certified version. Thecompany is following this formulawith the single-engine turbopropDynasty, single-engine Victory jetand twin-engine Elite VLJ.
Epic plans to obtain TransportCanada certification first, followedby FAA and EASA certification,and is working with the CanadianCentre for Aircraft Certificationnear Calgary, Alberta, to certify
the Dynasty early next year. The Dynastyprogram has logged 1,500 hours towardcertification testing, according to Epic.
The composite six-seat Dynasty will sellfor $1.95 million, a little less than the pro-jected $2.2 million price of the certified twin-engine Elite VLJ and half a million morethan the planned certified price of $1.3 to$1.5 million for the Victory single-engine jet.
FARNBOROUGH AIRCRAFTF1 KESTREL
Farnborough Aircraft is expecting tocertify its single-engine F1 Kestrel in 2010,pushing the date back from the previouslyplanned 2008 schedule. The prototype,which first flew last July, has logged about120 hours, according to Richard Blain, com-mercial director, including flights throughoutthe U.S. and Canada, cold-weather testingin Greenland and six months of hot-weathertests in Abu Dhabi. It is in England nowfor modifications, Blain said.
The prototype has been invaluable tohelp design the final version of the F1Kestrel, he said, adding, “It essentially
will be a new aircraft.” The final versionwill have a larger cabin, a redesignedfuselage and wing structure, an improvedflaps system and more fuel capacity. Thecompany is also implementing systemsfor more efficient manufacturing. “Noneof those [changes] is the result of majorissues,” Blain said. The manufacturer hasnot yet selected an avionics suite, but ithas determined that it will be an inte-grated glass cockpit. “We’re in discus-sions with a number of avionicsproviders,” Blain added.
According to Blain, the F1 Kestrel is “a pussycat on the one hand and a rock-etship on the other. Field performance is exceptional.”
Farnborough Aircraft is planning thenext prototype, “which will be close to the conformal design,” he said. “Most of theengineering efforts are centered on theUK, but we’re not discounting building itor taking production elsewhere.” Farnbor-ough Aircraft has partnered with Gamcoon the Kestrel program, but Blain couldn’tsay at this point how that will affect thelocation of prototype and production work.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFTKING AIR C90GTi AND B200GT
Hawker Beechcraft announced twoupgraded King Airs at the EBACE meet-ing in May–the King Air C90GTi withnew Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avion-ics and the King Air B200GT with morepowerful engines. The new avionicspackage in the C90GTi brings that air-plane to the same avionics level as itssiblings, the King Air B200 through theHawker 900XP.
The Pro Line 21 installation in theC90GTi includes three large-format LCDs,digital radio and audio systems, multisen-sor FMS, solid-state weather radar, CollinsChart Link chart-selection system, moni-toring of onboard systems and optionalJeppesen charts, XM weather, UniversalGraphic Weather for international opera-tions and Rockwell Collins HF radio.
www.ainonline.com • September 2007 • Aviation International Newsaa21
Farnborough F1 Kestrel
Comp Air 12
Continues on page 24 u
MAT
T TH
UR
BE
R
Tables on next page u
22aaAviation International News • September 2007 • www.ainonline.com
Epic Farnborough Hawker Beechcraft Hawker Beechcraft NAL Pilatus PC-12Comp Air 12 Dynasty F1 Kestrel King Air C90GTi King Air B200GT Saras Next Generation
Number crew + pax 10 6 7 6 to 12 8 to 16 16 11
First flight 4/14/07 7/17/04 7/29/06 6/8/07 2/26/07 5/29/04 N/A
Certification Q1/2010 2H/2008 2010 4Q/2007 3Q/2007 Late 2009 (Indian certification) Late 2007
Hawker Beechcraft has released perform-ance figures for the re-engined B200GT, andits 305-knot maximum cruise speed is 20knots faster than that of the B200. Themore powerful engines also enable fasterclimb rates. According to the company, theB200GT’s PT6A-52 engines were designedspecifically for the new King Air, by “mat-
ing the turbine section of the 1,050-shp-capable PT6A-60A found on the King Air350 with the existing King Air B200PT6A-42 gearbox.” An added benefit of thenew engine is that it does not have the10,000-foot takeoff field altitude limitationthat applies to the B200.
Certification and first deliveries of theB200GT are scheduled for the third quarterof this year, followed by the new C90GTiin the fourth quarter.
NAL SARASIndia’s National Aerospace Laboratories
(NAL) continues to make progress with itstwin-turboprop Saras light transport air-craft. The second Saras, PT-2, made its firstflight on April 18 in Bangalore, flown bychief pilot R.S. Makker, copilot A. Malikand flight-test engineer M.S. Ramamohan.The flight lasted 40 minutes; the airplaneclimbed to 9,000 feet and achieved a maxi-mum speed of almost 150 knots.
The Saras PT-2 features larger enginesthan the first airplane. On the second Sarasthe 1,200-shp Pratt & Whitney CanadaPT6-67A replaces the 850-shp PT6-66.Other improvements over the originalSaras, which logged 106 flights since itsfirst flight in May 2004, include larger-di-ameter propellers, modified structure forthe larger engines and flight control, electri-cal and avionics systems modifications. Thelarger engines, according to NAL, are nec-essary for the airplane to meet FAR Part 25one-engine-inoperative climb-gradient re-quirements. “All these improvements havebrought the PT-2 much closer to the finalproduction standard aircraft,” NAL said.
The company plans to build one moreprototype to final production standards andtrim 1,100 pounds from the airframe. Ac-cording to NAL, methods used to reduceweight will include “optimization of metal-lic structures, stringent fabrication control[and] increased use of composites.” ThePT-3 version could include all-compositewings and empennage.
Commenting on the first flight of theSaras PT-2, chief test pilot Makker said,“The [airplane] is a graceful, potent andpowerful flying machine.”
PILATUS PC-12 NEXT GENERATIONThe newest version of the Pilatus PC-12
has spent a lot of time flight testing its newHoneywell Apex avionics suite at Honey-well facilities in Kansas and Phoenix, inpreparation for certification later this year.
The PC-12 Next Generation is a majorstep for Pilatus, upgrading the avionics toan integrated system based on Honeywell’sApex glass cockpit.
The four-screen (two PFDs and twoMFDs) Apex system will display flightinformation (including weather, charts andflight planning functions) as well as engineand aircraft configuration data. It will alsobe used to control pressurization and envi-ronmental systems.
Pilatus hired BMW Group Designworks-USA to design the new cockpit. The NextGeneration PC-12 also has a more power-ful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P en-gine, with 15 percent more thermodynamicpower than the PC-12’s current PT6A-67B.
Other enhancements include digitaldual-zone environmental control system,automatic digital cabin pressurizationcontrol system and a fully redundantpower-generation and -distribution system,according to Pilatus.
in development
EVEKTOR EV-55 OUTBACKEvektor has begun prototype assembly,
including subassembly production, of thenine-passenger unpressurized twin-turbo-prop high-wing EV-55 Outback. The com-pany said it submitted its application for atype certificate during a meeting between thecertification team and regulatory authoritiesat its facilities in Kunovice, Czech Republic.
Evektor also plans a float-equipped ver-sion of the Outback, as well as a full cargoconfiguration capable of carrying standardcargo containers and a combi version forcargo and four passengers.
The EV-55 program has been delayedpending new financial backing, said mar-keting manager Milan Morkus. “In spite of
Evektor EV55 Outback Pilatus PC-12
Hawker Beechcraft King Air C90GTi
NAL Saras
new turbopropsuContinued from page 21
Continues on page 26 u
Hawker BeechcraftKing Air B200GT
24aaAviation International News • September 2007 • www.ainonline.com
the fact that we are still in the stage ofbuilding the first prototype, the demandfrom potential customers is enormous.”
EXTRA AIRCRAFT EA-500Extra Aircraft is focusing on the Euro-
pean market for the EA-500 single-engineturboprop, according to CEO Ken Keith,pending necessary infrastructure to supportdeliveries to the U.S. “The U.S. is a bigmarket, but we’re a small company,” hesaid. Extra has begun the U.S. certificationprocess, he added, “but we haven’t pushedit because we’re so focused on Europe.”
GROB AEROSPACE G140TP AND G160 RANGER
Both of Grob’s single-engine turbopropdesigns are on hold, according to the com-pany, while Grob Aerospace focuses ondevelopment and certification of the SPnutility jet.
IBIS Ae270BAero Vodochody’s Ae270 single-engine
turboprop has not made much progresssince it received FAA certification in Feb-
ruary 2006. The company was purchasedby private equity firm Penta Holding earlythis year and recently returned to profitabil-ity, thanks to contracts with Sikorsky onthe S-76 helicopter and a military L-59overhaul program.
Ibis Aerospace is a joint venture be-tween Aero Vodochody and Taiwan’sAerospace Industrial Development Corp.(AIDC). The company was supposed towork on a refined version of the Ae270with redesigned wings and systems, but this project was awaiting discussionbetween Aero Vodochody and AIDC,which is also dealing with funding prob-lems involving its investment in SinoSwearingen Aircraft.
INTRACOM GM-17 VIPER AND DS-12Intracom announced a few years ago
the GM-17 Viper, a Russian modificationof a pressurized Piper Navajo with a sin-gle Walter M601E turboprop engine inthe nose.
While no news has recently comefrom Intracom, a new airplane–the high-wing single-engine turboprop DS-12–hasbeen added to the company’s Web site.No information about the planned engine,performance specifications or certifica-tion plans was available, however.
UTILICRAFT FF1080-300ERUtilicraft Aerospace Industries has re-
cently received new funding and is re-em-barking on its plans to build the dedicatedtwin-engine cargo-hauling FF1080-300ER.As an interim step, the company has cutmetal on the smaller -200 design, whichwill act as a 77-percent-scale prototype forthe larger -300 program.
First flight of the -200 is planned forJanuary. Subcontractor Metalcraft Tech-nologies of Cedar City, Utah, is makingthe -200 fuselage, and another company(to be named) will manufacture the wings.The large subassemblies will be shipped toUtilicraft’s Albuquerque, N.M. facility forfinal assembly.
The all-aluminum FF1080-300ER cancarry standard-size cargo containers thatare also used by larger cargo airplanes. Thecockpit is pressurized; the cargo bay is not.
VULCANAIR AIRCRAFTAP68TP-600 A-VIATOR
Vulcanair, which purchased the typecertificates and assets of Partenavia in thelate 1980s, is reintroducing the turbopropViator (the VF600W Mission) as the newA-Viator. First deliveries are expected tobegin late this year.
Vulcanair plans to include glass cockpitavionics that are a combination of twolarge displays–one for the pilot and one forthe copilot–fed by Garmin navigators anda transponder.
The all-aluminum A-Viator will offer avariety of interior configurations, from 11occupants in high-density seating to com-bination passenger/cargo, medevac or para-chute-jumping layouts.
certified
QUEST KODIAKThe FAA awarded type certification to
Quest’s robust single-engine Kodiak utilityturboprop on May 30, but there were someinitial limitations on the airplane at thattime so Quest didn’t publicize the certifica-tion until mid-July, when most of the limi-tations were removed.
“We’re very grateful for the people whohelped us get here,” said Paul Schaller,CEO, praising suppliers such as Pratt &Whitney Canada and Garmin that helped asmall airplane manufacturer–“we’re smallpotatoes to them,” he said–and its employ-ees, “who worked really hard.” When theFAA cleared the early certification limita-tions on July 18, Quest held a barbecue foreveryone involved. “It was a big emotionalmilestone,” Schaller said.
The company has applied to the FAAfor a production certificate, which wouldhelp speed up issuance of each airplane’sairworthiness certificate and reduce thecompany’s dependence on FAA inspectors.The company has an order backlog ofmore than 100 Kodiaks. Schaller expectsto deliver the first customer airplane this
month or next, then one a month, and insix months, two per month.
When Quest is able to ship two air-planes a week, the manufacturing rate willmatch the rate of orders, he said.
Quest’s goal is to serve the mission-aviation market, and to that end the com-pany sought funding from missionaryorganizations early in the program. Everytenth Kodiak is dedicated to one of thosemissionary customers, which gets theairplane at cost. This system benefitsQuest and the missionary customers, whohave an incentive to promote the Kodiakbecause the faster the airplanes sell, thesooner the missionaries will receive theirdiscounted airplanes.
Kodiak sales are factory direct, andQuest will provide the training as well.Schaller sees many benefits in stayingclose to customers by retaining control ofsales and training. For example, the com-pany will be able to customize the trainingto individual buyers’ needs instead of forc-ing Kodiak pilots into a one-size-fits-alltraining regimen.
Quest is setting up a service networkfor Kodiaks, but the company’s techni-cians will do the first 100-hour or annualinspection. “It allows us to check [the airplane] out and be sure that it’s function-ing correctly and catch any problems,”Schaller said.
According to Schaller, the Kodiak fillsthe needs of a variety of markets. “Ours isa whole bunch of little segments. The chal-lenge is how to cost-effectively market toeach segment,” he said. Whereas a manu-facturer might expect some word-of-mouthactivity surrounding a popular aircraft usedby many of the same type of operator,Quest sees its single-engine utility turbo-prop going to different operators who don’tcommunicate with each other. As Schallerput it, “Guys who fly jump planes don’ttalk to missionaries.”
The Kodiak is approved for day/nightVFR/IFR operations, but has some re-maining limitations on its type certificatethat are expected to be lifted soon. One isa 1,000-hour life limit on the airframe thatwill be removed once fatigue testing iscompleted in about a year, well before anyoperator reaches that number. Some actua-tors have been limited to operations intemperatures no colder than -25 degreesC, but the plan is to revise that to -55degrees C so operators won’t be limited in far northern and southern climes. Certi-fications of options such as the S-Tecautopilot and belly cargo pod are nearlycomplete. The company said a TKS de-icing system will also be available, withthe goal of flight-into-known-icing certifi-cation for the turboprop.
Schaller is hoping the Kodiak will earnits production certificate early next year.“We’re a first-time manufacturer,” he said.“Building an aluminum airplane out ofthousands of parts is a lot of work.” o
26aaAviation International News • September 2007 • www.ainonline.com
