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News & Media Tecnam adds power

Tecnam adds power

April 5, 2017 By Jim Moore

Italian airplane maker Tecnam announced April 5 upgraded models including new powerplants for the P2002 light sport aircraft and the four-seat P2010, which also gets the latest Garmin glass along with the P2006T twin.

  • Tecnam announced an upgraded P2002 Sierra at Aero Fredrichshafen April 5, now powered by the Rotax 915 iS/iSC producing 135 horsepower. Photo courtesy of Tecnam.
  • Tecnam certified the four-seat P2010 in 2015, and announced an upgraded version April 5 at Aero Friedrichshafen. Photo courtesy of Tecnam.
  • Tecnam has upgraded the P2006 twin with the latest Garmin glass. Photo courtesy of Tecnam.
  • The Tecnam P2006T MkII includes updated avionics anchored by Garmin’s G1000 NXi Next Generation Flight Deck. Photo courtesy of Tecnam.
  • Tecnam has begun reserving production slots for the 11-seat P2012 Traveller. Photo courtesy of Tecnam.

The announcements were made on the opening day of AERO Friedrichshafen, Europe’s largest general aviation show, which celebrates its twenty-fifth year this year in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Customers asked for more power for the two-seat Sierra, and Tecnam announced in December a MkII version with an upgraded interior and 100-horsepower Rotax engine. The company followed that up at AERO, announcing an upgrade up front: the Rotax 915 iS/iSC producing 135 hp, with full takeoff power up to 15,000 feet msl, and a service ceiling of 23,000 feet msl. This up-engined P2002 MkII is expected to be available in late 2017.

Stepping up the model line to the four-seat P2010 (each Tecnam model number corresponds to the year of the original design) finds another MkII version with an upgraded powerplant: Lycoming’s IO-390 and a new propeller have been matched to the 2010 MkII, along with the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite that is also found in the new P2006 twin. Tecnam will continue to offer the P2010 with legacy Garmin avionics and the Lycoming IO-360; the upgrade options will be available in September, the company reported.

The MkII version of the P2006T also brings in the Garmin G1000 NXi  flight deck, along with cabin upgrades and a few other improvements to the twin that has entered the U.S. GA fleet as well as NASA’s experimental fleet. The new P2006T MkII will be available for delivery in May, the company announced.

Tecnam’s press announcements also included the launch of a slot deposit program for the P2012 Traveler, an 11-seat, Lycoming-powered twin designed for commuter airline service. Cape Air, which serves New England and Caribbean travelers, will be the launch customer of the Traveler, which is expected to be certified in 2018. The P2012 first flew in July.

Jim Moore
Jim Moore
Managing Editor-Digital Media
Digital Media Managing Editor Jim Moore joined AOPA in 2011 and is an instrument-rated private pilot, as well as a certificated remote pilot, who enjoys competition aerobatics and flying drones.
Go to Jim Moore's Profile

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