The Ferrari of the Skies

If driving a high-speed Ferrari is a fantastic experience, imagine what it would be like to be aboard a jet endorsed by the Maranello firm. Flying aboard the P180 Avanti II, from the Italian manufacturer Piaggio Aero is a unique experience.

Known as the “Ferrari of the Skies”, this turboprop propelled business aircraft   boasts an advanced level of comfort, innovative Italian style and unparalleled performance, as well as being considered as being the fastest in the world in its category.

The P180 offers the speed of a light jet, with the comfort of a much larger craft, a mid-sized silent cabin and lower fuel consumption than most other business jets (30%) and 25% more efficient than turboprop aircraft.

The P180 is the culmination of Piaggio Aero’s engineers’ efforts to design an aircraft that achieves the speed of a jet, the wide-body cabin with the efficiency of turboprop engines. This model in question is the result of intense aerodynamic analysis and the thousands of hours of wind tunnel testi.ng.

 

 

 

Traveling tranquility

Inside, the cabin offers the space and comfort that can only be found in an aircraft of double the price. The cabin is more than 1.80 meters wide and 1.75 meters high; in other words, 30 centimeters wider and higher than the highest selling business jet, and offers passengers plenty of headroom to move around freely.

The large soft reclining leather seats, thick woolen carpet and wood finishes guarantee a comfortable flight. The cabin is within the range of 68 db, which allows easy conversation, thanks to the position of the engines on the wings, which prevents the noise from affecting passengers’ privacy.

The wings-engine-fuselage combine design reduces vibrations and gives the feeling of traveling first-class in a commercial airliner. The completely-separate bathroom offers privacy and space that exceeds expectations.  All these elements combine to ensure that your passengers arrive fresh, rested and ready to work and enjoy the day.

 

 

 

Great economy

A pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 engines equipped with innovative propellers with aerodynamic characteristics that give the plane be cruising speed of 837 km/h, at the certified altitude of 41,000 feet, which makes it the most rapid option of all its competitors. With a maximum range of 1,800 nautical miles, the Avanti II can cover any distance without having to make the fueling stops. Combined with its ability to take off and land on shorter airstrips (shorter than 3,000 feet), the Avanti II offers performance value that is beyond the reach of any other aircraft in its class.

 

Exterior design efficiency

The design of the Avanti II has been drafted to slice smoothly and silently through the air.  Its uninterrupted aerodynamic curve flows from the nose to the tail reducing friction and improving laminar flow. The shape is supported by three elements of aeronautical design which are responsible for the unparalleled efficiency. The key to speed and efficiency is the configuration of 3 lifting surfaces.

The Piaggio engineers achieved greater aerodynamic efficiency by using a smooth glass covering and using proven construction techniques but reversing the normal process.  The aluminum layers on the fuselage have an exact shape and form and are held in place by vacuum molds. The entire construction is supported from the inside those avoiding the typical imperfections found in other aircraft.

The non-cylindrical shaped low-friction fuselage developed through intense wind tunnel tests achieves a cabin with a wide cross-section without greatly increasing friction. The result is a specific range of 0.84 nautical miles per pound of fuel, a figure that cannot be reached by any other business jet or turboprop aircraft currently on the market.   

 

 

Technical Data

Maximum seating capacity

9+2 tripulación / crew

Typical executive use

6+1 tripulación  / crew

EXTERIOR

Wingspan

14.03 m / 46.03 ft

Length

14.41 m / 47.28 ft

Height

3.98 m / 13.06 ft

INTERIOR

Height

1.75 m / 5.74 ft

Width

1.85 m / 6.07 ft

Length

4.55 m / 14.93 ft

PERFORMANCE

Cruising Speed

398 KTAS (737 km/h)- 28,000 ft

(8538 m)

Rate of climb

899 m/min/ 2,950 ft

Maximum Ceiling

12,500 m / 41,000 ft

2, Pratt & Whitney Canada

PT6A-66B, 1630               

Thermodynamic HP

WEIGHT

Useful Load (including Crew)

1,950 kg / 4,300 lb

Maximum Useful Load

907 kg / 2,000 lb

 

Text: Laura Velázquez ± Photo: Piaggio Aero.