Photograph:
Tecnam P2002 Sierra 24-4943 (c/n 216) at Kempsey, NSW in August 2010 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Two-seat light touring, sport and training monoplane
Power Plant:
One 75 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912 S2 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.6 m (28 ft 2½ in)
- Length: 6.61 m (21 ft 8¼ in)
- Height: 2.43 m (7 ft 11½ in)
- Wing area: 11.50 m² (123.8 sq ft)
- Max speed: 241 km/h (150 mph)
- Cruising speed at 75% power: 215 km/h (134 mph)
- Stalling speed flaps down: 72 km/h (45 mph)
- Max rate of climb at sea level: 318 m/min (1,043 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 4,265 m (14,000 ft)
- Empty weight: 320 kg (705 lb)
- Loaded weight: 586 kg (1,279 lb)
History:
The Tecnam P2002 series was introduced to the Company’s line in 2004, being described as ”designed and built in the 21st Century, this is the standard all GA trainers should attain.” It was available in two basic models, the P2002 Sierra aimed at the ultralight / microlight market, and the P2002 JF, a general aviation certified touring model. The first P2002 Sierra was announced in 2003, being shown publicly at Aero 2003 at Friedrichshafen in Germany.
The P2002 is the standard variant, and the P2002 JF was aimed at the German market. It was basically a very much up-dated P-96 Golf changed to meet JAR-FLA standards, having a re-designed fuselage with a re-profiled cabin area and an all-new all-metal tapered wing with a five-degree dihedral and upturned wingtips.
First operator of the series in this region was the Walsh Memorial Scout School at Matamata in New Zealand, which took possession of three examples in early 2005, these being P2002 JFs ZK-ROZ and ZK-TVB, and P2002 Sierra ZK-TST, followed by ZK-WNR (c/n 118) with the Marlborough Aero Club at Blenheim. Others, the P-92 JS and P2002 JF, were the certified variants. At that stage more than 70 examples of the Tecnam series of light aircraft were registered in this region. The P2002 JF was aimed at flying training organisations and a number indicated an interest in replacing old Cessna and Piper training aircraft. In early 2005 Bassair, which ran a flying training organisation at Bankstown, NSW, ordered six for delivery during that year.
Further variants have become available, the P2002 JR being a variant with a retractable undercarriage, and the P2004 Bravo, a high-wing variant, which first flew in September 2004, this having the strut-less wing of the Sierra and a new fuselage based on that of the P-92 Echo Super, the first example of this model becoming ZK-JPE in New Zealand in early 2008. A four-seat variant powered by a 123 kw (165 hp) SMA Diesel TAD.19 engine, with a 134 kw (180 hp) Lycoming engine available as an option, was also available.
In late 2016 Tecnam introduced an updated and improved version known as the Sierra Mk II, the cockpit having an extensive range of options from basic analogue instruments to the Dynon SkyView with 25.4 cm (10 in) dual displays, Garmin G3X with dual screens, and G3X Night version with fully backlit backup instruments. Other changes included a re-designed engine cowling and canopy, new locking mechanism on the canopy, seats with fore and aft adjustment, and a range of exterior paint schemes.