With Sun ‘n Fun taking place concurrently with the AERO Friedrichshafen show in Germany, Italian aircraft manufacturer Tecnam announced a range of upgrades to some of the airplanes in its wide range of models.
The single-engine P2002 Sierra has undergone major improvements, starting with the powerplant. The Rotax 912 engine has been replaced with the latest and greatest 915 iS/ISC, increasing the power to 135 horsepower. The new powerplant allows the airplane to climb at full power up to 15,000 feet and brings the service ceiling to 23,000 feet.
Tecnam has also revamped the cabin of the Sierra and redesigned the canopy to provide more headroom. A new locking mechanism has been installed, which Tecnam claims reduces the noise level in the cockpit. The two-seat LSA has several avionics, paint and interior options to choose from.
Garmin’s latest version of the G1000 flight deck, the NXi, has been approved for Tecnam’s four-seat P Twenty Ten and twin-engine P2006T airplanes, allowing customers to comply with the upcoming ADS-B mandate. The new avionics system also provides a slew of enhancements, including a quicker processor, wireless database updates, visual approaches and much more.
In addition to the avionics upgrade, a new, more powerful engine has been installed in the carbon-fiber P Twenty Ten. The four-cylinder, fuel-injected Lycoming IO-390 engine weighs in at 315 pounds and produces up to 215 horsepower at 2,700 RPM.
For the P2006T twin-Rotax-engine powered airplane, Tecnam has made several improvements to the cabin, adding electronically controlled seats that allow for adjustments to height and comfort. The interior lighting system has also been improved with dimming switches, and USB ports have been added.
“Be it major enhancements such as the introduction of Garmin’s state-of-the-art avionics suite or even down to the provision of ADS-B Out and even USB sockets, Tecnam [is] committed to constantly evolving and improving its product offering to ensure our customers always benefit in all the latest innovations the GA world has to offer,” said Paolo Pascale, Tecnam’s CEO.
