Vulcanair of Italy has revealed plans for a four-place light single dubbed the V1.0 that the uninitiated will probably mistake for a wildly modified Cessna Skyhawk.
The high-wing design will feature a 180 horsepower Lycoming IO-360 engine and Garmin glass avionics — both hallmarks of the Cessna single. But unlike the Skyhawk, Vulcanair plans to take advantage the latest technology — such as the less costly IFR-capable Garmin G500 avionics system — to bring the price down. Way down.
The result will be an airplane Vulcanair hopes to sell for around $250,000, versus about $400,000 for a brand new Cessna 172. The company, best known for its P68 twin, showed off the V1.0 at Aero Friedrichshafen in Germany last week, where it announced its intention to start selling the airplane in the U.S. as early as next year.
The V1.0 is already certified by EASA in Europe, and Vulcanair plans to seek a bilateral agreement with the FAA to sell the airplane here.
Another unique feature of the Vulcanair design is the inclusion of three doors — two for the front-seat occupants and one for accessing the rear seats. According to Vulcanair, the V1.0 has a max takeoff weight of 2,546 pounds, an empty weight of 1,627 pounds and a useful load of 912 pounds. Max cruise speed is listed as 139 ktas and range with 50 gallon tanks as 600 nm.
Get exclusive online content like this delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for our free enewsletter.
We welcome your comments on flyingmag.com. In order to maintain a respectful environment, we ask that all comments be on-topic, respectful and spam-free. All comments made here are public and may be republished by Flying.
