Vulcanair Aircraft gears up for 2008 deliveries of its newly introduced A-Viator aircraft. The first aircraft should be delivered by the spring of 2008.

Vulcanair Aircraft plans to manufacture 3 A-Viator in 2008 and thereafter 10 per year starting in 2009.

The A-Viator is a high-wing twin-turboprop developed to meet a substantial gap which has appeared in the market in recent years which is currently unfulfilled. An uncomplicated yet modern glass cockpit twin engine JetA capable aircraft.

In today's aircraft models availability, on the bottom scale of the market there are single and twin engine piston aircraft. The aircraft provide simplicity and economy, and decent amounts of safety when the aircraft is a twin engine. However piston aircraft are extremely limited by their marginal performance and loading capacities. When it comes to be deployed in simple pax transport or worse for surveillance or patrol missions the limitations become even more apparent.

Moving up on the aircraft scale there is a disconnect from low powered piston aircraft as the next step is formed by a number of pressurised turbine aircraft and VLJs. These aircraft seem relatively inexpensive to acquire and to operate but most of them are not availble to the market yet and once there they will require extremely skilled pilots to fly them with expensive recurrent training programs necessary to maintain the required levels of safety and insurability. In addition, their performance specifications do not always match the owners needs, like short field takeoff and landing performance etc.

To conclude, bigger is not always better when it comes to General Aviation aircraft, however a sufficient level of performance and JetA capability is regarded as an increasing necessity. That is why Vulcanair aircraft has designed the A-Viator which proposes itself as the 'missing link' between light piston aircraft and larger pressurized turbine and VLJ aircraft. The glass cockpit A-Viator which is an evolution of the Viator (AP68-TP600) is easy to fly and has the twin engine safety and more performance than currently available single engine non-pressurized aircraft, but it is easy to handle even for a private pilot. Its simplicity, economy and several specail mission versions also make it a perfect next generation aerial works platform, allowing the easy installation of two camera hatches, FLIRs etc.

A-VIATOR PERFORMANCE:

Take-off distance

Ground run 400 m 1312 ft

Over 50 ft 620 m 2034 ft

Rate of climb (two engine) 7.87 m/sec (1550 fpm)

Rate of climb (one engine) 1.38 m/sec (270 fpm)

Service ceiling 7580 m (25000 ft)

Service ceiling (one engine) 3474 m (11400 ft)

Max speed (12000 ft) 395 km/h (213 ktas)

Max range cruising speed 315 km/h (170 ktas)

Stall speed (no flaps) 139 km/h (75 ktas)

Stall speed (extended flaps) 128 km/h (69 ktas)

Landing distance

Ground run 320 m (1050 ft)

Over 50 ft 700 m (2297 ft)

Range (cruise speed, 12000ft, max fuel) 1575 km 850 nm