What do you guys and girls who are at the Aero think of the new Vulcanair SEP?
This article sounds promising.
I can’t visit the show, due to work and family …
Like others have said in the Pipistrel thread: it seems to offer little improvement over the existing, except the pricing.
But for a low-cost PPL 4-seater I see little market: lots of second hand PA28’s and C172’s on offer, and low number of new entries in this market. New pilots will either fly VFR on a budget, in which case a Rotax-powered LSA will do, at much lower operating cost, or they go for proper travel which means IFR, oxygen, FIKI, &c. The very least they could have done was to offer a diesel option.
Will give it a look, though, tomorrow.
PS do take care of job and family, both are immeasurably more important than this flying folly of ours.
it seems to offer little improvement over the existing
At a quick glance, they promise DA40NG performance for a much lower price. They are also substantially cheaper than a C172S, so I definitely see an improvement.
The very least they could have done was to offer a diesel option.
Why should they? Mogas offers substantial price savings without the hefty surcharge for a Diesel engine. The IO-360 is proven for decades, autofuel is readily available – the much better choice IMHO.
PS do take care of job and family, both are immeasurably more important than this flying folly of ours.
Nothing to disagree here 
It offers some of the DA40 features, but is less well equipped. The G1000 is a lot of avionics, more than a G500. Comparing it to a DA40-180 (similar engine) it’s almost as fast but not quite, and it remains to be seen if it has the field performance.
It is always going to be difficult to displace a long standing market leader like Cessna with their 172, and even a newer but established player like Diamond.
Vulcanair… if memory serves right, they are the company who bought out Partenavia.
The new V1 looks like they re-invented the P64 Oscar.
140 kt max speed and 600 NM range @ 45% marketing figures, figure @ about 120 kts.
Load, 417 kg total, – 135 kg fuel = 282 kg payload with full tanks.
MOGAS is a good selling point in Europe, certainly. The overall pricing seems optimistic but can be one reason for clubs to buy it.
It’s more in the league with a 182 than a 172 in terms of speed, it can take 4 folks @ 70 kg average.
Not bad, but I reckon the only selling points would be the price and Mogas certification.
Remains to be seen if the Mogas certification allows for more than 1% Ethanol, which seems to be the current limit for Lycomings.
I don’t know about the rest of Europe but Mogas in my mind for Sweden would be 98-99 Octane fuel from the regular petrol station, which unfortunately has 5%.
It most certainly is a reinvention of the P64, which brings it to the same level of innovation as the C172. No wonder they can offer such a “competitive” price.
Tecnam at least have gone the full stretch of actually designing a new aircraft, the P2010, instead of stealing back their old design, the P64…
Tecnam at least have gone the full stretch of actually designing a new aircraft, the P2010, instead of stealing back their old design, the P64…
But what’s the point in introducing a completely new design that’s much more expensive but only offers limited performance improvements?
What’s the point in producing fancy composite aircraft that are heavier than old spam cans (eg. DA40NG)?
If there is a relevant market for new aircraft below the SR22, which is targeted at high net worth individual owners, an aircraft like the Vulcanair may well make sense.
P2010 is quite roomy inside and it’s a lot sexier than the P64… Reason enough.
What’s the point in producing fancy composite aircraft that are heavier than old spam cans (eg. DA40NG)?
Because it can be done? If we went by pound for pound value we should all be flying Miles or Jodel aircraft, constructed from wood. Low weight, good speed and load carrying capability generally on less ponies. I remember Alan Bramson had an article in a flying magazine back in the nineties making this comparison and asking the same question.
