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The single-engine four-seat Part 23-certified high-wing is back. While the design had been just about forgotten in the modern world of aviation \u2014 Cessna introduced its latest version about 50 years ago with the 177 Cardinal \u2014 Italian airplane-maker Vulcanair is the second to have recently certified a similarly configured airplane after another Italian manufacturer, Tecnam, got the FAA signatures in 2015 for its P2010.<\/p>\n
Unlike the Tecnam, which is a composite airplane, the Vulcanair V1.0 returns to a steel-frame and aluminum structure, which was the standard for decades. The power plant \u2014 a 180 hp Lycoming IO-360 \u2014 is also well-established. This engine can burn 100LL and alternative fuels. Vulcanair claims a 130-knot cruise speed at 75 percent power for the V1.0. While most light four-seat airplanes have at most two doors, the V1.0 has a third door for safety and easier access to the rear seats. Eighty-eight pounds of luggage can be stored in the separate cargo compartment.<\/p>\n
The panel takes the traditional design to the 21st century, with a Garmin G500 PFD\/MFD, a touch-screen GTN 650 navigator and a JPI digital engine monitoring system. An angle-of-attack indicator and digital backup instrument \u2014 Mid-Continent\u2019s two-screen Standby Attitude Module (SAM) \u2014 are included as standard equipment. A fully IFR-capable panel configuration is also available.<\/p>\n
What could be revolutionary is the price tag for the V1.0. At an introductory cost of $259,000, the Vulcanair is priced significantly lower than both Tecnam\u2019s and Cessna\u2019s certified light high-wing airplanes. What remains to be seen is whether the company can continue to deliver the airplane at such a price. But Vulcanair is not new to aircraft manufacturing, having been in business since 1996. The first V1.0 delivery is scheduled at the Sun \u2019n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Florida, in early April.<\/p>\n