Mooney celebrates Ultras, shelves M10 project
Mooney International President and CEO Vivek Saxena described the excitement at his Kerrville, Texas, factory as “palpable.” “The factory is humming,” he told reporters at a Sun ‘n Fun press briefing April 4. The company announced certification of the new Ovation Ultra and Acclaim Ultra in late March.
Meanwhile, the company’s plans for the diesel-powered M10 trainer, announced in late 2014 and being designed in Chino, California, have been shelved. The work done by the team of engineers continues, Saxena stated, building the foundation of what he calls the “next generation piston aircraft,” which will form the next generation of product to replace the M20s in years to come. The next generation product will not be a trainer, Saxena said. As for when more information about that product might be available, the CEO said the when and what was uncertain. “It will have to wait.”
Deliveries of the Ultra models are scheduled to begin in the next few weeks. Eleven airframes are in various stages of completion at the factory, he said.
