Photograph:
Vulcanair V1.O VH-VOI (c/n 1009) at Parkes, NSW in September 2019 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Four-seat, single-engine, cabin monoplane
Power Plant:
One 134 kw (180 hp) Lycoming IO-360-1A four-cylinder horizontally-opposed fuel-injected air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 10.00 m (32 ft 10 in)
- Length: 7.23 m (23 ft 9 in)
- Height: 2.77 m (9 ft 1 in)
- Cruising speed at 75% power at 1,829 m (6,000 ft): 241 km/h (150 mph)
- Rate of climb at sea level: 270 m/min (900 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,700 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 190 litres (42 Imp gals)
- Take-off to 15 m (50 ft): 490 m (1608 ft)
- Landing distance over 15 m (50 ft) obstacle: 503 m (1,650 ft)
- Range with three persons of 77 kg (170 lb) with 45 mins reserve at 45% power at 3,048 m (10,000 ft): 1,094 km (680 miles)
- Empty weight: 738 kg (1,627 lb)
- Max useful load: 400 kg (882 lb)
- Max luggage weight: 40 kg (88 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,155 kg (2,546 lb)
History:
The prototype of this new generation of touring and training aircraft was flown by Paul Southwick, an AOPA test pilot, at the Company’s facility in Naples, Italy, this aircraft being registered I-PDVA. Designed and produced to compete with the Cessna 172 Skyhawk series at a cheaper price, it is powered by the Lycoming IO-360 engine capable of running on AvGas or alternative fuels driving a two-blade fixed pitch or constant speed propeller 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) in diameter. It is produced by Vulcanair at Casoria in Italy and was first shown to the public at Aero Friedrichshafen in 2014 and at one stage was displayed at AirVenture at Oshkosh in Wisconsin in the United States.
It is a strut-braced high-wing aircraft with seating for four in an enclosed cabin with doors on each side for egress, a separate door for luggage, and a fixed tricycle undercarriage. It is fitted with a Garmin G500 avionics suite, a GTN-650 unit and a JPI digital engine monitoring system. Construction is of welded steel tube around the cabin with a riveted aluminium wing, tail cone and empennage sections, providing what is described as a strong protective cabin for pilot and passengers with a lightweight structure.
European Safety Agency (EASA) certification was obtained in November 2013 and US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification in December 2017.
The Delaware State University in the United States in November 2018 placed an order for ten examples to replace its fleet of Piper PA-28 aircraft in the training role. The aircraft is marketed in Australia by Aeritalia (Australia) Pty Ltd in Melbourne, VIC, the first example becoming VH-VOI (c/n 1009) on 11 January 2019, being first shown to the public at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon, VIC, and being noted at other aviation events on the Australian eastern seaboard.