New Tecnam models unveiled

The airplane will be certified for IFR flight under 14 CFR Part 23 and come with Garmin’s G500 TXi primary flight display and GDU700P multifunction display. Max takeoff weight will be 1,433 pounds, and full-fuel payload is projected to be 529 pounds. Certification of the $235,000 two-seater is expected by March 2020.

The new P92 MkII is intended as a primary trainer certified as a light sport aircraft in the U.S. market. It has an all-composite construction (previous P92s were metal), and there’s a choice of either a 100-hp Rotax 912 iS (with full authority digital engine control) or a turbocharged 115-hp Rotax 914 engine. The Garmin G3X primary display plus dual Garmin GDU 460 MFDs are standard. Though IFR-equipped and capable for the U.S. market, in Europe the airplane is not approved for flight in instrument meteorological conditions. Anticipated price of the airplane ranges from $160,000 to $200,000, and certification should come in 2020.

H3PS Project Tecnam P2010

This isn’t an airplane available to the public—yet. Instead, it’s a hybrid-electric powered Tecnam P2010, funded not by Tecnam but by a European Union research and innovation grant. The goal is to replace the standard, 180-hp Lycoming IO-360 engine with a 141-hp Rotax 915iS engine, then pair the Rotax with an electric motor in a parallel-hybrid drive setup. This would provide extra power when needed for takeoffs or climbs, and reduce fuel consumption in cruise by relying on the electric motor alone. The H3PS stands for “High Power High Scalability Aircraft Hybrid Powertrain.”