Tecnam Achieves First Flight for 11-Seat Traveller

Tecnam has achieved first flight for the largest offering in its rapidly expanding product line: the P2012 Traveller. The 11-seat airplane was flown from the 3,141-foot-long grass runway at the Capua Airport (LIAU), adjacent to Tecnam’s headquarters.

“After a smooth takeoff, I climbed to a safe height to perform our pre-planned maneuvers to check the basic behavior of the aircraft, engine and flight controls,” said test pilot Lorenzo De Stefano. “The aircraft responded exactly as expected.”

The airplane was designed as a low-cost passenger carrier, with fixed gear and two 350-hp turbocharged Lycoming engines capable of burning avgas or mogas. The P2012 was designed for a range of at least 600 nm, a top speed of 175 knots at 10,000 feet and short field capabilities.

Tecnam has an aggressive certification schedule and, since last week, the company has already flown the airplane five additional times. Certification is expected in 2017 with first delivery for the Traveller’s launch customer, Hyannis, Massachusetts-based Cape Air, expected in 2018.