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larger planes. After the P92, they embarked on the develop- ment of more advanced single and multi-engine aircraft. In addition to the ultralight, light sport, Part 23 and Part 25 production aircraft categories used in the United States, the Europeans (EASA) and other countries recognize ad- ditional classifications. Without going into extensive detail, the additional EASA categories of light aircraft (CS-VLA) offer additional flexibility for pilots in some operations and are more stringent in others. It does allow lighter aircraft to be designed around specific operating environments, but interestingly enough the EASA Light Sport category allows for a slightly higher gross weight than the US.
With their experience building individual components and complete airframes since 1948, Tecnam manufactures 85% of the aircraft parts in-house, providing a high degree of vertical integration and production. We toured their production and saw that integration from cutting small switch panels on CNC equip-
ment to high-pressure water jets
producing parts and the milling
and assembly of virtually all the
components for their retract-
able gear. With such full con-
trol over the entire design and
production of large numbers of
components, they can quickly
integrate design changes into
their aircraft. This integration
also demonstrably impacts their
supply channel, transportation
6 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2023
costs and associated energy consumption. In addition, it has enabled them to have an advantage in controlling production costs.
With a staff of 450, the company annually produces 300 aircraft represented by seven models and numerous variants. Single-engine aircraft include the following: P92, P2002, P2008 JC and P2010. Tecnam’s multi-engine models include the P2012 (standard version) and their newest model the P2012 STOL. Flight schools are 55% of their market, followed by commercial at 30% and the remaining private operators. Tecnam also produces special mission versions of some of its aircraft models.
Their innovative spirit is also evidenced by research and development into all-electric and hybrid-powered prototypes. After concluding earlier this year that current battery technology was not mature enough, Tecnam sus- pended its P-Volt all-electric program. In addition, a hybrid platform powered by a conventional engine in conjunction with an electric motor uses both power sources for climb performance, then relies solely on the combustion engine during cruise flight. With no current plans for production, though, the information and data found will be beneficial for future development.
Tecnam’s P2006T has also been used as the test bed for NASA’s research vehicle, the X-57 Maxwell. NASA used it to evaluate the potential of electric-motor propulsion in various configurations, replacing the Rotax 912S engines with 60-kilowatt electric motors.
Over 7500 aircraft have been produced by Partenavia and Tecnam over the years. As mentioned, Vulcan Air supports the legacy aircraft of Partenavia, and Tecnam supports its current airplanes through 133 service centers and 70 dealers around the world. Impressively, their aircraft are certified to operate in over 70 countries.
Flying A Tecnam
Tecnam is probably the only aircraft manufacturer based at an airport with only a grass runway. Every Tecnam flies from this runway for their initial test flight. It isn’t uncommon to have new aircraft test-flown by senior man- agement, including Francesco and the grandsons of Luigi and Giovanni, Paolo (CEO) and Giovanni (CMO) who run the company. When Tecnam delivered their first P2012 twin to their launch customer, Cape Air, it was Giovanni at the controls on the flight from Capua to Massachusetts.