Photograph:
GippsAero GA-8 ZK-SAZ (c/n GA8-05-078) at Lake Tekapo, New Zealand on 26 April 2011 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Australia
Description:
Eight-seat utility transport
Power Plant:
One 239 kw (320 hp) Lycoming TIO-540-AH1A six-cylinder turbocharged horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 12.42 m (40 ft 8½ in)
- Length: 8.94 m (29 ft 4½ in)
- Height: 3.88 m (12 ft 9 in)
- Wing area: 18.75 m² (208 sq ft)
- Cruising speed at 3,048 m (10,000 ft): 248 km/h (154 mph)
- Initial rate of climb: 275 m/min (904 ft/min)
- Certified ceiling: 6,096 m (20,000 ft)
- strong>Range at cruising speed: 1,037 km (644 miles)
- Max endurance cruising at 40% power: 8.2 hours
- Take-off roll: 244 m (800 ft)
- Take-off distance over 15 m (50 ft) obstacle: 488 m (1,600 ft)
- Landing roll: 147 m (483 ft)
- Landing distance over 15 m (50 ft) obstacle: 494 m (1,621 ft)
- Empty weight: 1,054 kg (2,324 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,905 kg (4,300 lb)
- Optional cargo pod capacity: 200 kg (440 lb)
History:
Following its success in the light utility aircraft market, GippsAero continued the development of the Airvan and produced a number of enhancements to the aircraft, these including an optional under-fuselage cargo pod, an autopilot, air-conditioning, a larger nosewheel for soft field operations and an EDM-800 engine monitoring and data logging system. From aircraft c/n 163 onwards max take-off weight was increased by 90 kg (198 lb) permitting an extra passenger or 125 litres (48 Imp gals) of fuel to be carried.
GippsAero had always been interested in obtaining certification for a turbocharged variant for hot-and-high conditions. VH-TBU (c/n GA-8-02-011) was fitted with a turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540 engine and this aircraft, described as a proof-of-concept prototype, was flown for the first time in this configuration in November 2004.
The production prototype of the Airvan TC-320 was converted from an earlier model, this aircraft VH-FGN (c/n GA-8-03-025) making its first flight in 2006. After certification deliveries of the new model commenced in 2009. The new model was designated GA-8-TC-320, this Lycoming engine providing 224 kw (300 hp) at 1,524 m (5,000 ft), certification being received in February 2009, and soon after American and European certification also being received.
The first production TC-320 (c/n 130) was delivered to Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in February 2009 and it commenced operations in Papua New Guinea. Further production aircraft have been delivered in Australia, New Zealand, France and Britain. Following the closure of the Gipps Aero facility by Mahindra in late 2020 it is not expected the GA-8 will return to production unless another company acquires the operation.
An example of the TC-320 turbocharged variant has been fitted with Wipaire 3450 amphibious floats. It was placed on display at the Experimental Aircraft Assocition (EAA) event at Oshkosh in Wisconsin, USA in 2015. Deliveries of the floatplane variant were planned to commence in 2012, this model to be fitted with a 261 kw (350 hp) Lycoming twin-turbocharged and intercooled TIO-540-AE2A engine but by early 2016 only the one seaplane prototype had been completed.