Italian manufacturer Vulcanair has announced that the US Federal Aviation Administration certified the four-seat V1.0 on 20 December last year, fulfilling a promise the company made at Oshkosh 2017 to have certification done by the start of 2018.
Although Vulcanair announced the V1.0 in only April 2014, making a development period of only three years and eight months, the design harks back to the Partenavia P.64B Oscar of 1967.
The single-engine high wing is an all-metal GA aeroplane powered by a 180-hp Lycoming IO-360 engine, with a cruise speed of 135 KTAS and a range of 590 nm. The engine can run on either avgas or alternate fuels and will swing either a fixed-pitch or constant speed propeller.
The V1.0 is constructed of welded steel tubing with riveted aluminium wings, tail cone and empennage, which Vulcanair believes gives greater protection for passengers and crew, and results in a lighteweight airframe. The typical empty weight is 755 kg, and with a max take-off weight of 1155 kg, has a comparable useful load to its main target: the Cessna C172SP
The standard avionics package is Garmin G500 EFIS coupled to a GTN 650 navigator. An optional full-IFR pack is also available.
Vulcanair has priced the basic fixed-pitch V1.0 at around $US250,000 to make sure it undercuts the C172SP.
More information on the V1.0 is on the Vulcanair website.