Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

General purpose utility transport

Power Plant:

One 224 kw (300 hp) Avco Lycoming IO-540K1A5 six cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The Gippsland GA-8 Airvan was a new entrant into the manufacture of light aircraft in Australia, and was the first commercial utility type aircraft put into production since the Government Aircraft Factory (GAF) Nomad. Built by Gippsland Aeronautics at the Latrobe Valley airfield in Victoria, the GA-8 Airvan was designed to FAR Part 23 Standards, and was an eight-seat utility transport designed from the outset to be safe, simple, practical, robust and versatile with the ability to operate from rough and remote airstrips.

The idea of the GA-8 came from a visit to China by a delegation from the manufacturer, it being considered that the Australian market would not be large enough for an uncomplicated almost box-shaped utility aircraft, but a market for such a type was available in China and developing countries.

A full-scale wooden mock-up was built to prove the design, the cabin being 1.27 m (50 inches) wide and 1.19 m (47 in) high. Consideration was also given to eventually fitting a turbine power-plant, such as the Soloy turbo-pac, and the fitting of floats. A number of operators showed interest in the design to replace the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver on seaplane tourist work. Seating was available for a pilot and up to seven passengers. Cabin volume was 5.09 m³ (180 cub ft) and useful load was 907 kg (2,000 lb).

A prototype, known as a proof-of-concept aircraft, which was unregistered but used the call sign VH-GAE, was built during 1994, making its first flight on 3 March, 1995 in the hands of Peter Furlong. This aircraft was shown at the Airshows Downunder event at Avalon, VIC that year. This aircraft was powered by a 186 kw (250 hp) Lycoming O-540 engine. However, during spinning tests on 2 February 1996 problems arose, the pilot had to leave the aircraft and it was destroyed.

Construction of a further prototype commenced in February 1996, this being the third aircraft built. This VH-XGA (c/n GA-8-96-03) was demonstrated at Avalon in 1997 and was said to be more representative of the production aircraft. The second non-flying prototype was for static test purposes. At one stage the third aircraft was fitted with the Avco Lycoming IO-580 engine, this providing its rated power at 2,450 rpm. Fuel capacity was 340 litres (74.8 Imp gals).

By 2002 the aircraft was in full production with the Lycomi9ng IO-540K1A5 engine, this featuring a new tail which had greater height and chord, the top half of the fin no longer having a rudder on its trailing-edge and being fixed. A new large chord rudder went to half the fin height and had 40 per cent of its area below the tailplane. A fixed ventral fin was added.

The certification process continued for some time, eventually in March 1999 the Airvan being provided with a Provisional Type Certificate to FAR 23 amendment 48 standards, with full certification in October 2000. This was followed by certification to amendment 54 standards in March 2003, and also in 2003 to United States FAA and Canadian standards.

The first production aircraft was delivered to a tourism operator in Queensland, Air Fraser Island, with examples being delivered to further tourist operators, including Alligator Airways and Slingair in Western Australia, Wrights Air in the Northern Territory, etc. By mid 2005 it was in operation with tourist operators in seven countries, including South Africa, Indonesia and North America. Production picked up and four aircraft were delivered in 2001, 12 in 2002, 19 in 2003 and 23 in 2004. To meet orders, production increased year by year.

An example VH-MCN (c/n GA-8-02-015) was flown across the Pacific in 2002 to attend the United States Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) event at Oshkosh in Wisconsin. At about this time the United States Air Force Auxiliary invited tenders for the purchase of aircraft to be used in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) role, these aircraft to be used in support of United States security. The CAP in the United States is a large organisation which employs a fleet of some 550 general aviation aircraft, the aircraft appearing on the US Civil Aircraft Register, being regularly used for search-and-rescue, training, and surveillance duties and to provide support to the military and civil service authorities.

Trials between a GA-8 Airvan and a Cessna 206 were conducted in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, operating from the Buena Vista strip which is 2,422 m (7,946 ft) above sea level, and another strip at Leadville, which is 3,026 m (9,927 ft) above sea level. The performance of the Airvan culminated in the awarding of a contract in February 2003 with what was to become known as a rolling-contract. By mid 2005 sixteen GA-8s had been delivered.

Two examples were delivered during 2004 to the Lesotho Defence Force on the African continent.

Eventually a cargo pod became optional for installation under the fuselage, this being an all-composite unit with a volume of 0.51 m³ (18 cub ft) with a capacity of up to 200 kg (440 lb) or items up to 2.4 m (7 ft 11 in) in length. The first pod was installed on VH-MFE (c/n GA-8-04- 065) and was flown in December 2004, being delivered to Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF).

The Company also looked at installing a turbocharged engine to the aircraft to meet the requirements of operators which required enhanced hot-and-high performance. The TIO-540 variant of the engine was initially installed in VH-TBU (c/n GA-8-02-011) and began its flight trials in November 2004, this engine providing its sea level power up to 3,658 m (12,000 ft).

Consideration was also given to installing a diesel engine in the future, with units under development by SMA and Thielert being investigated. A stretched variant was also considered, this to be fitted with a 335 kw (450 shp) Rolls Royce / Allison 250-B17F turboprop, this aircraft, if it was built, to be known as the Taska. Wipline in the United States developed a variant of its Series 4000 floats for installation, with certification received in 2006, followed by a ski plane for operations into ski resorts or on to glaciers, as has occurred in New Zealand.

Gippsland Aeronautics has been involved in a number of aviation-related programs, including Supplemental Type Certificates to extend the wing spar life of Piper Navajo and Chieftain aircraft, and modifications to the Piper Pawnee, and others. The Company operated out of the Latrobe Regional Airport and has looked at extending the size of its facility to meet future orders for its products.

At a ceremony at the Latrobe Valley Airport on 23 August 2006 the 100th Airvan was rolled out and handed over to Missionary Aviation Fellowship for operations in Papua New Guinea. At that time Airvan VH-FGN (c/n GA-8-03-025) was trialling a turbocharged Lycoming engine with a three-blade propeller. In due course from aircraft c/n 163 the GA-8 had an increase in max take-off weight by 91 kg (200 lb), and existing aircraft could operate with the new weight after implementing a service bulletin.

In early 2007 Gippsland Aeronautics announced it was expecting to sign a deal with Rolls Royce to install a de-rated variant of the 250-B17F turboprop in the GA-8, and that it was proposing to later release a variant of the GA-8 known as the GA-10, this to be a model with a stretched fuselage able to seat ten. Discussions were also taking place with a view to a deal with an Indian company, which would complete partially-built GA-8s for the Indian sub-continent, this enabling the Company to increase production to 30 aircraft a year.

In 2010 an Airvan was flown around the world. The journey was made to raise funds for malaria research by GA-8 VH-BYI (c/n GA-8-TC-320-120).  The aircraft, piloted by Kenneth Evers and Timothy Pryse, left Bendigo, VIC on 8 May and travelled 51,254 km (31,848 miles) in 263 hours using 16,000 litres (3,519 Imp gals) of fuel, returning after 62 days.

In March 2011 GippsAero, as the company had then become known, announced it was co-operating with Wipaire in the design, construction and flight testing of the GA-8-380 Airvan fitted with Wipaire 3450 amphibious floats, testing beginning in October 2011 and deliveries in 2012.

In mid 2014 the owners of the Indian company, Mahindra, re-branded the name of the aircraft, the GA-8 becoming known as the Airvan 8. During 2014 Wipaire Inc had a GA-8 and this aircraft N495KB (c/n GA-8-TC-320-11-168) was fitted with Wipline 3450 amphibious floats, the aircraft being taken to and displayed at the EAA event at Oshkosh in July 2014. Mahindra stated it was expecting orders for the floatplane from operators in North America and Canada, particularly in Alaska.

At the same time Mahindra stated it was considering a new manufacturing plant for the Airvan 8 and, as 90 per cent of the aircraft had been made in the United States, where it was assembled at the Company’s facility in Seattle and then shipped to Australia for final assembly, it was considering moving production to the United States, where it would be possible to reduce the price of the aircraft.

In October 2014 the Airvan 8 received certification in Brazil where it was expected to sell well in what was described as the second largest market for utility aircraft. In December 2014 Type Certificate validation was received from the Civil Aviation Administration of China and this led to an initial signing of an order for five aircraft by Shaanxi Jinggong General Aviation Company Ltd with delivery to be completed within 12 months. This company was the general aviation branch for the Jinggong Group, which provided sales, training, maintenance and operational support within the General Aviation Section and was an authorised Mahindra Aerospace dealer for China.

In early 2015, following a customer request, Mahindra Aerospace and Airvan Alaska partnered with Airglas, Inc for the development of a new nosewheel fork for the ski variant. This modification was expected to be certified by mid 2015 and permitted the aircraft to operate across Alaska, Canada and other countries into remote and unimproved airstrips.

By late 2015 Mahindra at Morwell, VIC was specialising in developing a market for special mission and police variants of the GA-8. At that time the GA-8 had received certification in China and India, allowing it to fly commercially with an economical load of passengers.

In September 2016 Mahindra Aerospace announced it would commence selling the aircraft in India and there was a possibility of building it in India. Some parts for the aircraft have been supplied to the factory at Morwell, having been made in Bengaluru (also known as Bangalore) in Karnataka State. However, the Indian Directorate of General Aviation insisted that aircraft above 1,500 kg (3,307 lb) must have two pilots for commercial operations and thus the cockpit of the GA-8 needed to be re-designed and re-certified in order to sell the aircraft to operators on the Indian market.

By mid 2020 Mahinda was closing down the producion line of the utility aircraft, alhough there was still said to be a good demand across the world with the last aircraft (c/n 262) being prepared for shipment overseas. At that time Mahindra announced it would continue to provide spares and support for the aircraft in service but staff would be reduced from 88 to 13. Covid-19 was said to have contributed to the reduction in production.

The first GA-8 was delivered in Decmber 2000 to Frazer Island Air and by 2010 the Company was selling an average of 16 aircraf per year.  Interest  has been shown in obtaining the Company and re-commencing production.