_.

• • •

EXHIBIT

i~

ADVANTAGE, AVANT I

Piaggio pushes into the future.

by J. Mac McClellan

54
II ••

THE EARLY Learjet influence is instantly apparent in

the Avanti cockpit. Controls, switches, nomenclature and

even the shade of gray paint on the panel are all Learjet.

And the control wheels and the special trim-control button are pure Learjet. The view from the Avanti cockpit is Q

like the view from a jet-no wings or engines in sight- §

and the Learjet cockpit features heighten that feel. The 5

Avanti's unique flush windshields will be changed to just ~

a single pane on each side, eliminating the sidepost, The §

new windshield will improve the Avanti's already good ~

visibility and will use electrically heated glass panes to ~

combat icing. ~

Starting the Avanti's Pratt & Whitney PT6 engines is ~

FLYINGIDECEMBER 1987

55
like starting any other turboprop, except that this is the

first PT6-powered airplane I've flown where I couldn't

see the props turn. It felt and sounded like starting a jet.

Piaggio uses two levers to control the engines instead of

the three that most other turboprops use. Fuel condition

is controlled by the prop-control lever, and the throttle levers control power and select reverse thrust.

The Avanti uses a nosewheel-steering system that responds and feels exactly like a Learjet's. Piaggio test pilot Giuliano Currado says that the "taxi" mode is too sensitive, and that it is best used only in tight ramp spaces.

But the "takeoff and landing" mode felt just right. And

unlike the Learjet's, the Avanti's steering system is left

on throughout takeoff and landing. A deadband of about

10 degrees of rudder travel allows for crosswind landings without cocking the nosewheel. Avanti brakes are

power-boosted-a rare feature on a light turbopropand they are smooth.

For takeoff on a 79° day, the Avanti weighed 9,660

pounds and needed less than 3,000 feet of runway. In

fact, Piaggio calculations show that the Avanti never requires more than 3,000 feet of runway. The engines are

flat-rated to 800 shp but actually produce enough power

to maintain takeoff power to well above Flight Level 200.

Speed targets were 103 knots for rotation and 115 knots

for engine-out climb.

The Avanti tracked straight and true down the runway

as I trimmed power with the throttles. Rotation speed

came quickly, and it was easy to fly to 10 degrees nose up

with no overshoot. Because of its straight wing the

Avanti flies off the pavement quickly, rather than rolling

along for a few seconds with its nose up. I was on instruments right away and was delighted by the airplane's

56

u," •I
FLYJ\"(;;!IECEMRER 1~~7

stability and control response.

Optimum initial climb speed is 155 knots, but that

yields a deck angle that's too high for passenger comfort or good forward visibility. With the nose up 10 degrees the indicated airspeed settled on 180 knots, and

the Avanti climbed at about 3,000 fpm to our ATC-assigned altitude of 8,000 feet. Cleared to FL 350 I held

the same 10-degree pitch attitude, and we went up

fast-the airplane was still climbing 2,000 fpm at FL

300 and, as predicted before takeoff,

FL 350.

was

At

climbing

that altitude

at 1,200

the

fpm

Avanti

at I

indicated Mach .62 with the OAT

~~:~~b~;~;~a::::sd~;O~ ~~~~lef~~i nu~~~~_~;~C:~~~~i

flow of 630 pph. (To go to the air- t t .

I

' '1' f FL 410 ld pro 0 vpe In pane s cer mg 0 we wou fr ht Th t bhave neede~ ~dditional clearance Pil~p'~m:inU~i~9

aboye 0l;lr military test area.) . area is less than a

Plag~lO exp~cts the Avanti to CessnaSk hawk's.

reach Its maximum speed of 400 But its :abin

knots at F~ 270 a?d has already above left i~

flown the airplane in excess of 380 all busine~s.

knots. The number-two prototype I

flew did not yet have production engines or props, so it

did not have full power available.

But at FL 240 the true airspeed reached 373 knots. This

lower-altitude speed will be important in some parts of

the U.S., where ATC is holding airplanes that are flying

short hops, or those that can't cruise at near Mach .8 in

the low-altitude sectors that top out at FL 230. Even at

full power at a lower-than-optimum altitude, the Piaggio

used only 840 pounds of fuel per hour.

57
At FL 350 the airplane felt solid on the controls even in

45-degree banks. The ailerons are light and responsive,

while pitch force is slightly heavier. Though the light ailerons are a delight-even on instruments-Piaggio test

pilots believe the average corporate pilot will be happy

with the slightly higher roll forces that are in the works.

Despite the responsive ailerons, the Avanti is extremely

stable and would make hands-off 20-degree banks even

at FL 350. There is little Dutch roll, and when yaw was

excited with the rudder pedals the yaw swings damped

out quickly. I certainly don't think a yaw damper will be

required for certification at any altitude but, as in any

corporate airplane, passengers will welcome it, and it will

be standard.

The Avanti is pressurized to nine psi, creating a 7,000-

foot cabin altitude at FL 410. The pressurization system

performed flawlessly, even in an MMO descent with both

engines at flight idle. In fact, the cabin maintained pressure with both engines at idle and with bleed air from one

turned off at FL 350. This is an airplane designed for

high-altitude flight, not just given enough power to get

there.

The Avanti's smoothness and quiet are remarkable,

and a direct result of Piaggio's attention to the tiniest of

detail. With no interior and little soundproofing installed,

the cockpit was as quiet and vibration-free as that of any

business jet I've flown, and quieter than most. Even

when flying at maximum allowable indicated airspeed,

usually the most critical test, the sound level was unchanged.

The air was smooth for our nearly two-hour flight, so I

couldn't fully assess the ride in turbulence. With its'63.5-

pounds-per-square-foot wing loading, the Avanti should

58
FLYI~G/DECEMBER 1987

give a good ride. The wing loading is comparable with a

light business jet's, while popular turboprops have

loadings in the 40-pounds-per-square-foot range.

The Avanti has ideal stall characteristics, right out

of the textbooks. With flaps up, set for approach or set

for landing, the response was always the same. High

stick force is required to pull the airplane from a low

trimmed speed up to the stall. As the stall approaches,

the airplane buffets unmistakably. Finally, if you persist in pulling back, the nose drops

trol

straight

available.

ahead with

In fact,

full

ATe

roll conor- E

dered a heading change as I was in

~he process. of stalli~g the .airplane our years of

m the landmg conflguratlO.n, so I computer analysis is

~ent ahead an~ turned WIth t~e partly responsible

airplane buffetmg. The Avanti s for the Avanti's

nose-drop was initially not as pro- radical looksnounced. as Piaggio desired, so a and performance.

stall strip was added to the for- But control is

ward wing. That strip will be .re- conventional; the

placed by a recontour~d leadmg "canard" provides

edge for the forward wmg. only balancing lift.

At 14,000 feet we shut down the

right engine and feathered the prop. Rudder force is considerable, near the 150-pound certification limit at VMC

airspeed with an engine out, but the airplane is easy to

handle. Because the props counterrotate, there is no

"critical" engine. Engine-out climb at our weight was

just over 1,000 fpm at 14,000 feet. Piaggio engineers

want a reasonably high rudder force with an engine out;

it will help protect the fin and rudder structure from possible overstressing through too much rudder application

59
fI

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WRITE IN NO. 19 ON READER SERVICE CARD

and will aid in identification of the

failed engine. If present pedal forces

are too high, they can be reduced by

changing the rudder control linkage.

Autofeathering will be standard. The

pusher-prop configuration is inherently more stable and seemed to produce less engine-out control difficulty. Engine-out climb performance

should be excellent on the Avanti,

with a projected sea-level single-engine climb rate of 1,250 fpm at maximum takeoff weight.

The Avanti's excellent stability

and precise handling qualities were

most welcome on the long and unusual lL8 approach into Genoa. The

only handling-quality note is that

the nose pitches up slightly during

flap extension, and then back down

again to regain trim. Anyone who

has flown a Cessna high-wing single

has experienced this. For some reason, perhaps because of interaction

of the wake from the forward wing,

the Avanti is not quite as stable in

yaw with full flaps. It's not bad,

though; it just isn't as rock solid as

it is with the flaps up.

Approach target speed was 115

knots, though VREF may be as low as

107 knots. On the glides lope, the

Avanti's attitude is somewhere between the nose-high attitude of a jet

and the nose-down attitude of a conventional turboprop. The result is

that you arrive over the runway needing only a slight flare for landing. I

flared high the first time, but by

keeping the power on I was able to allow the airplane to sink for a smooth

touchdown.

On the touch-and-go the airplane

was remarkably easy to control on

the runway as the engines spun up.

The second landing worked out even

better. The Avanti will be a pilotpleaser, and thus a passenger-pleaser, since passengers are so impressed

by smooth landings.

Maximum operating speed (VMO)

is being increased to 300 knots from

the original 260-knot limit because

the airframe has proven to be so capable. New six-blade metal props

from Hartzell, with thicker roots and

smaller diameter, were needed for

the higher-speed flight and to withstand the exhaust heat of the engines. The optimized thrust from the

new props and final production engines seems certain to push the

Avanti to its final goal of a 400-knot

cruising speed.

The Avanti is expected to be certified by the end of the first quarter of

1988, with first deliveries in early

PIAGGIO

AVANTI

1989. Production has begun on the

first 12 airplanes. It is expected to sell

for $3.7 million.

The Avanti is the world's fastest

turboprop and one of the most efficient, yet it still has short-runway

capabilities. Passengers will luxuriate in the largest cabin cross section-and probably the quietest-of

any corporate turboprop or light jet.

The Avanti has as large a cross section as the Falcon 200 does. Throw in

the superb handling qualities and you

have a revolutionary airplane-not in

the way it is built, but certainly the

Avanti has taken the corporate airplane's evolution process a stunning

leap forward. 0

The airplane flown for this report was the

second prototype Avanti. It had just under 90 hours' total flying time and was

equipped with Collins Pro Line avionics, a

Bendix/King color weather radar and a

full complement of flight-test equipment

that used telemetry to send as many as

1,000 channels ofdata to theflight-test laboratory. The autopilot/automatic flightcontrol system, anti-ice systems and production versions of the engines had not yet

been installed. All specifications are preliminary, awaiting certification in early

1988.

Projected price $3.7 million

Engines P&W PT6A·66, 800 shp each

Props Hartzell, six blades

Seats 6/10

Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 46.5 ft

Height 12.8 ft

Wingspan 45.4 ft

Wing area 169.6 ft

Wing aspect ratio 11.8

Max ramp weight. 10,8001bs

Max takeoff weight " 10,7101bs

Equipped empty weight 7,000 lbs

Max useful load 3,800 lbs

Max landing weight. 9,985 lbs

Wing loading 63.5 lbs/sq ft

Power loading 6.75 Ibs/shp

Max usable fuel 2,7001bs

Max rate of climb 3,650 fpm

Ceiling (certified) 41,000 ft

Max pressurization differential 9 psi

7,OOO-ft.cabin at 41,000 ft

SE rate of climb 1,250 fpm

Maximum speed 400 kts at FL 270

Maximum operating speed

.................... 300 KIAS/Mach .67

Max range 1,800 nm at 320 KTAS,

with IFR reserves and

4 passengers

Stalling speed, flaps down. . . . . . . .. 82 kts