Piaggio Displays Avanti II At NBAA

Coinciding with the first US display of its upgraded Avanti II aircraft at this year's NBAA Convention (one year after announcing the airplane at NBAA 2004), Piaggio America announced the forthcoming FAA certification for the radical looking airplane -- and they also took a moment to share some speedy news.

"We can virtually set a speed record any time we wish," said Piaggio America President and CEO Tom Appleton. "We flew from our new service center in Indianapolis to Orlando in 1.75 hours, at an average groundspeed of 515 mph." In all, the tri-winged (all three horizontal surfaces are lifting surfaces) turboprop has set 17 world records.

That was in the regular Avanti -- not the new Avanti II, the advanced permutation of the company's original P.180 Avanti. Featuring updated PT6A-66B pusher turboprops, the Avanti II has a maximum takeoff weight of 12,050 (a 500 lb improvement over the original) and a 300 lb higher zero fuel weight. The airplane also features the Collins Pro Line 21 avionics package, including three 10"x8" liquid crystal flight adaptive flight displays -- a system which may be made available for retrofit into earlier Avantis.

"Obviously we are very excited about the Avanti II," said Appleton to Aero-News. The aircraft received EASA certification this past September, and FAA certification is anticipated "within two weeks."

The company also announced the opening of two new completion centers for the Italian-built aircraft, in West Palm Beach, FL and Denton, TX, to complement the original center in Greenville, SC.

The 100th original Avanti one was also recently delivered to Avantair, a fractional ownership program flying Piaggio aircraft exclusively. A Piaggio P.180 was also recently selected by the Italian Forest Service for use as an air ambulance, according to the company.

FMI: www.piaggio.com, www.avantair.com