Single-Engine Tandem-Seat Design Can Meet Civilian And Military Training Markets
Ameri Aircraft Sales and Service in Houston, Texas, is now the exclusive sales and service dealer for the Blackspace line of aircraft. Ameri CEO Malik Naseem and Blackshape CEO Luciano Belviso introduced us to the bird at their Airventure 2021 display. Naseem is a US Army veteran CH-47 Chinook and UH-1 Huey pilot, experienced aviation industry executive, and holds CFI, CFII, MEI, HI, A&P and Avionics certificates.
Mr. Belviso holds a Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino, Italy, as well as a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, and a Master of Law from the Université Paris XI, France.
Blackspace S.p.A. is an Italian aircraft manufacturer in the Apulian Aerospace district, in Monopoli, Italy. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Angel, an international holding company involved in several hi-tech sectors but mostly in space, aerospace, railway, electronic and biomedical.
The Gabriél is the trainer version of their higher performance Prime model, certified in the EU and about to become certified by the FAA under reciprocal agreement protocols. Gabriél is a tandem-seat, retractable-gear design constructed of carbon-fiber prepreg, steel and aluminum. It is powered by a Lycoming IO-320-D1B 160 hp engine turning a Hartzell three-blade constant speed prop.
On the safety side, the aircraft sports MIL-certified wiring, an advanced circuit breaker system plus temperatures and fuel capacity sensors. In addition, it also comes with five-point certified safety belts, a ballistic parachute and anti-blast fuel tanks.
On the performance side of the specs, the design claims a very respectable 250 meter (820 ft) take off run and a mere 190 meter (620 ft) landing roll, making it suitable for operation on small fields. The airframe is rated for +4.4/2 g's but spins are prohibited. Maximum endurance is 3.2 hours.
On the avionics sheet the front cockpit sports dual Aspen EFD1000's, JP Instruments EDM900 engine monitoring, Garmin GTN650 and GNC255 nav/com's and an optional KLR10 Lift Reserve Indicator, among other components. Three versions of the Gabriél are planned with the main difference being how closely the rear instrument panel matches the front one.
Both civilian and military operators have expressed an interest in the Gabriél, with deliveries having been already been made to a number of countries in the European Union and elsewhere.
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