The Italian Minister of Defence, Lorenzo Guerini, signed on Friday, October 1 a Decree for the acquisition of six new P.180 Avanti EVO for the Italian Armed Forces. For a complete quantity of 171 million euros, the act additionally funds the availability of a P.180 full flight simulator and the extension of the upkeep contract for the “Viper” engines, that are fitted additionally on the plane of the Nationwide Aerobatic Staff (“Frecce Tricolori”).
The Piaggio P.180 Avanti is an Italian government transport plane with twin turboprop engines mounted in pusher configuration. It seats as much as 9 folks in a pressurized cabin and could also be flown by one or two pilots. The design is of three-surface configuration, having each a small ahead wing and a traditional tailplane, in addition to its most important wing, with the primary wing spars passing behind the passenger cabin space.
Commercial
The Avanti’s counter-rotating[34] turboprop engines are positioned on a mid-set, high-aspect-ratio wing situated simply behind the cabin. The three-surface design incorporates each a T-tail and a pair of small, fastened forewings having slight anhedral and touchdown flaps. On the Avanti II these flaps robotically deploy in live performance with the primary wing flaps. This reduces the load on the tailplane, even when the flaps are deployed, by decreasing the pitch-down second created by the deployment of the primary wing flaps. This in flip permits the dimensions of each the tailplane and the primary wing to be decreased. This specific three-lifting-surface configuration was patented in 1982.
“Fulfilling the Authorities’s dedication to supporting Piaggio Aerospace’s turnaround, this outstanding order additional enhances the worth of the Firm, which is now near discovering a brand new proprietor”, commented Piaggio Aerospace’s Extraordinary Commissioner, Vincenzo Nicastro. “Notably, these six new plane convey the whole order portfolio of the P.180, together with non-public prospects, to twenty models”.
In 2014 Piaggio introduced improvement of an up to date model, named EVO. It makes use of new Hartzell composite propellers, with blades of scimitar configuration. Its wings carry new winglets; aerodynamic enhancements have been included, and an extra 60-gallon (400 lb) gasoline tank possibility to extend vary to 1,770 nautical miles (3,280 kilometres). The corporate predicts improved climb efficiency, 250 nmi better vary, and three% discount in gasoline utilization. The revised propeller form, mixed with a decrease engine pace, guarantees a 68% discount in exterior noise. Avanti EVO kind certification was granted by EASA on 28 November 2014, and by the FAA on 6 July 2015.
The primary Avanti EVO manufactured on the new $150 million manufacturing facility at Albenga Airport was delivered in 2016, one yr after transferring manufacturing from its earlier Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport plant. Projected buy worth was $7.4 million in 2014. By November 2018, no P.1HHs had been delivered to the UAE and the Italian Ministry of Defence €766 million assist for the P.2HH program was frozen as populist coalition associate 5 Star Motion prioritized social programmes over defence spending. By 2021 the outfitted worth was $7.695 million.[56] The primary EVO was delivered in April 2015, with 5 extra to observe the identical yr.
