The sleek Pipistrel Panthera piston-single prototype made a surprise journey over the Alps from its home in Slovenia to the Aero Friedrichshafen show in Germany yesterday.
As soon as the airplane landed around 1 p.m. local time, it began drawing crowds wanting a closer look. The Panthera is a four-seater that its maker claims will be able to fly 1,000 nm, cruising at 200 knots while burning just 10 gallons of avgas per hour. With full composite construction and titanium retractable undercarriage, the Panthera can be equipped with a “conventional, hybrid, or all electric propulsion system.” Standard power comes from a 210 hp Lycoming engine.
