Photograph:
Tecnam P2008 24-8001 (c/n 024) at Temora, NSW in April 2012 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Two-seat light sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 75 kw (100 hp) Rotex 912USP four-cylinder horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.8 m (28 ft 9 in)
- Length: 6.93 m (22 ft 7 in)
- Height: 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 12.01 m² (130 sq ft)
- Max cruising speed: 222 km/h (138 mph)
- Cruising speed at 75 percent power: 207 km/h (129 mph)
- Stalling speed full flap: 76 km/h (47 mph)
- Rate of climb at sea level: 274 m/min (900 ft/min)
- Take-off run: 200 m (610 ft)
- Landing run: 150 m (492 ft)
- Practical ceiling: 4,267 m (14,000 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 110 litres (24 imp gals)
- Loaded weight: 600 kg (1,320 lb)
History:
The Tecnam P2008 Gran Turismo (Grand Tourer) was released to the market by the manufacturers, Tecnam, in Italy in 2009. It was an all-new design combining a carbon-fibre fuselage with a metal wing and stabilator. Tecnam has been involved in the design and production of light aircraft since 1948 and chose on this occasion for the optimisation of aerodynamic qualities and reliability to build the new design in this manner. It has two 55 litre (12 Imp gal) fuel tanks located in the wing box behind the main spar. Cabin height is 1.10 m (42 in) and the width is 1.2 m (47 in). Cruising speed at 65 percent power is 215 km/h (133 mph). The instrument panel is of modular design and is able to accommodate a range of digital Glass, analogue and instrument packages.
Deliveries of the first examples of the type in Australia began in 2010 the first becoming VH-MSF (c/n 006) on 6 October 2010, to Tecnam Australia of Runaway Bay, QLD, but this aircraft was cancelled from the civil register in January 2016, being transferred to the RAA register as 24-8442. Further examples have been imported and registered in both Australia and New Zealand. In mid-2018 Soar Aviation Aircraft Holdings of Moorabbin, VIC placed an order for eight examples for pilot training and has continued to import such examples. By February 2019 aircraft included VH-VKS (c/n 163), VH-VKT (c/n 164), VH-VKU (c/n 165) and VH-VKV (c/n 166).