P.180 Avanti II With New Engine Flies From Indianapolis To Atlanta In Just Over An Hour

With upgraded Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) PT6-66B engines, Piaggio flew into the record books again today with its P.180 Avanti II aircraft setting another new speed record, this time from Indianapolis to Atlanta.

The plane, piloted by Piaggio America Chief Pilot Arthur St. Clair, flew from Indianapolis International Airport to DeKalb Peachtree Airport in one hour and nine minutes. The plane covered 397 nautical miles, with an average ground speed of 345 nautical miles per hour.

"The Avanti II with -66B engines really performs," said St. Clair. "Even with temperatures at ISA +5 and greater and a brief level off at 23,000 and 27,000 feet, it only took 16 minutes to reach our cruise altitude of 31,000 feet. The true airspeed during cruise was 400 kts or 460 mph."

The newest speed record adds to a list that began in 2000, the year the company opened its North American facility.

"What another great moment in Piaggio history," said Piaggio America CEO Eric Hinson. "The P.180 Avanti II is the fastest business turboprop aircraft in the world but still gives a smooth, quiet ride similar to a jet. We are thrilled by the performance of the new PWC engine."

The Piaggio P.180 Avanti and P.180 Avanti II currently hold 18 speed records, and today's record is the first set by a Piaggio P.180 Avanti II upgraded with the new Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) PT6-66B engine. This new engine enables the world's fastest turboprop to fly at a maximum speed of 402 kts., 745 km/h (MMO 0.70), making the P.180 Avanti II the first business turboprop to reach this significant speed milestone.

Piaggio Aero has facilities in Genoa, Finale Ligure and Naples, Italy and subsidiaries in Nice, France (Piaggio France) and in West Palm Beach, Fla., U.S.A. (Piaggio America Inc.). Equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro-Line 21 avionics, the P.180 Avanti II has an endurance of over 1,500 nautical miles at a speed of 402 knots and a maximum cruising altitude of 41,000 feet. The P.180 is licensed to operate with a single pilot and can accommodate up to nine passengers. There are 127 Avanti II aircraft currently in operation and a backlog of more than $600 million.

FMI: www.piaggioaero.com