The first Extra EA500 turbo-prop aircraft is expected to be delivered to the Australian agent, Moorabbin-based Avia Aircraft, before Christmas.
Powered by a Rolls-Royce 250 engine, the Extra 500 is a high-wing single that seats six and cruises above 200 knots in the flight levels.
The EA500 comes from the fervent mind of Walter Extra, the man behind the successful Extra range of high-energy aerobatic planes, and is built largely of composite materials, and has a strutless, cantilevered high wing.
With the demonstrator arriving in the country, the battle for market share of the high-speed, single-engine six-seat market takes on a new dimension. Aircraft like the TBM850 and Piper Meridian use the ubiquitous Pratt and Whitney PT-6A engine, but the RR turbo-prop in the EA500 should deliver more power at lower altitudes and use up to 20% less fuel.
At a tag price of $1.75 million, the EA500 may also prove to be a viable alternative to private jets such as the Eclipse, Hondajet and Cirrus SF50.