Piaggio Aero Industries, the maker of the uniquely shaped P.180 Avanti, announced major modifications to the twin-turboprop pusher, creating a new model named the Avanti Evo. With several aerodynamic modifications to the airplane, the Evo promises significant performance improvements translating into a 17 percent range increase, which allows the Evo to travel as far as 1,720 nautical miles, a 3 percent reduction in the fuel burn and a 3 percent improvement in climb performance.
Modifications include the addition of winglets, new scimitar propellers and a new landing gear system with a power steering system for the nose gear and anti-skid brakes.
At 402 knots, the top speed of the Evo is about the same as the previous Avanti II model, making it the fastest turboprop in the world. While Piaggio Aero gets its customers to their destinations as fast as possible, the comfort level for the passengers is not compromised. The spacious cabin of the new Evo will be offered with a new interior designed by two renowned Italian design firms: Iacobucci HF and Poltrona Frau.
Piaggio Aero’s Giuliano Felton also said the Evo has a 68 percent reduction in external noise, translating to a drop of 5 dB(A). A video shown at the company’s European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) press conference showed that the pitch of the sound is significantly dampened. While Felton said the cabin of the Avanti II was already quiet, the interior noise has also been reduced by about 20 percent or 1 dB(A). The scimitar propellers contribute to the noise reduction along with a reduction of the max prop speed from 2,000 to 1,800 RPM.
The investment in the new product was made possible in part due to the acquisition of the company by Abu-Dhabi-based Mubadala Development Company, which now owns 98.04 percent of Piaggio Aero. The remainder of the company is owned by Enzo Ferrari’s son Piero Ferrari.
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