Photograph:
First Alpi Aviation Pioneer 400 in Australasia VH-LPI (c/n 006) at Avalon, VIC (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Four-seat light sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912ULS four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-and-liquid-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.8 m (28 ft 9 in)
- Length: 7 m (22 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 11.2 m² (120.50 sq ft)
- Never exceed speed (VNE): 296 km/h (184 mph)
- Max speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
- Cruising speed at 75% power: 222 km/h (138 mph)
- Stalling speed: 79 km/h (49 mph)
- Best rate of climb speed: 139 km/h (86 mph)
- Rate of climb: 244 m/min (800 ft/min)
- Range at 75% power: 900 km (559 miles)
- Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,404 ft)
- Take-off run: 280 m (919 ft)
- Landing run: 200 m (656 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 80 litres (17.6 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 360 kg (794 lb)
- Gross weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
- Baggage allowance: 30 kg (66 lb)
- Loaded weight: 760 kg (1,675 lb)
History:
The Pioneer 400 was developed by Alpi Aviation in Italy as a four-seat development of the 200 and 300 series and was the flagship of the Company’s range. The prototype G-CGAJ (c/n 01) was first flown in 2009 and the type made its first public appearance at AERO Friedrichshafen in Germany in April 2010. The 400 had a retractable gas suspension electrically-operated undercarriage and had electric elevator trim, electric flaps and fuel contained in two 40 litre (8.8 Imp gal) fuel tanks.
The first of the type seen in this region became VH-LPI (c/n 006) registered to the importer, M Prendergast of Alpine Aircraft, of Lara, VIC on 14 February 2011, being placed on display for the first time at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon in March 2011.