New Four-Place Single Introduced To The U.S. At Oshkosh 2011

Tecnam has released a video showing the first engine start on its new four-place single, the P2010. The 75 second video shows the first engine run from startup to shut down.

Tecnam introduced its entry into the GA single market last year at Oshkosh. The P2012 would fill a gap between the Italian company's LSA offerings and the P2006 twin. In announcing the airplane last summer, Tecnam said it will be the company's first single engine aircraft to enter the US certified market. Bearing close resemblance to Tecnam's most recent LSA, the P2008, the plane consists of a carbon fiber fuselage with metal wings, stabilator, control surfaces and landing gear. The P2010 will boast a takeoff weight of 2,557 lbs with a useful load of 992 lbs. Its projected cruise speed is 133 knots (75% power at 6,500 feet) with a range of 660 nautical miles and will climb at 1,050 feet per minute up to its service ceiling of 15,000 feet. Using the 180 horsepower Lycoming IO-360-M1a power plant, the aircraft will burn as little as 8 gallons per hour with the flexibility of using Avgas or Mogas.

An innovative forward-opening third door on the copilot side enables convenient rear seat access. The baggage compartment located aft the rear seats is accessed with an outside door also on the copilot side. Its cabin size is among the largest in the four place category with more than adequate legroom in every seat position. Another feature of the P2010 is its large modular, low profile panel, which comes in a variety of configurations from traditional analogue gauges to Garmin G1000's. The low profile panel allows for excellent outside visibility.

The airplane has a targeted base price of $275,000. It said at the time that over 40 production slots have been sold since the P2010 was first unveiled at Aero Friedrichshafen. (Frame Capture from YouTube. Note prop distortion is due to camera frame rate.)

FMI: www.tecnam.net