Riccardo Niccoli profiles the Tecnam P2012 Traveller, an aircraft with few competitors in its market segment
The P2012 Traveller, the latest product from Tecnam, is quite different from preceding aircraft from the Italian company. The success of the Tecnam brand has come from the production of light and ultralight aircraft for general aviation, flying schools and leisure flying. However, with the P2012 the company decided to create a more complex aircraft to meet the needs of commercial aviation.
Stefano Mavilio, Tecnam’s Marketing and Communications Manager, told AIR International: “The P2012 has 11 seats, is equipped with two piston engines and fixed landing gear, and was commissioned by a US regional company, Cape Air, which operates in the Boston area and in Massachusetts.”
Cape Air is one of the major airlines operating in the regional air transport market, with a fleet of 89 aircraft that every day carry out 525 flights, mainly in the eastern United States, transporting about 686,000 passengers per year. Some years ago, it needed to replace its ageing Cessna 402C fleet, which was reaching the end of its operational life and whose maintenance costs were becoming more expensive.
Since Cessna did not appear interested in producing a new aircraft in that class, Cape Air contacted Tecnam to start the design of a completely new aircraft tailored to its needs: a mini commuter aircraft with 11 seats and piston engines to cover short routes with flight times of between 20 and 90 minutes. Another requirement of the new design was to a fixed landing gear to save weight and maintenance costs and reduce development time.
Mavilio said: “Cape Air follows closely the development of this project, and it is very satisfied with the results so far, and of the programme timings, because the earlier they can start to operate the new aircraft, the earlier they start to save on the fleet operating costs.”
First flight
The first prototype of the P2012 Traveller, I-PTFC, was rolled out on April 21, 2016, and undertook its maiden flight from the unpaved runway of Capua airfield on July 21, 2016, piloted by Tecnam’s test pilot, Lorenzo De Stefano, a former test pilot in the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force).
On November 15, 2016, Dan Wolf, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cape Air, had the opportunity to fly the Traveller with De Stefano. After the flight, Wolf stated: “This aircraft is very easy to fly. With the performances we have seen, we will be happy to offer our customers a new-generation aircraft that will be able to increase the flight comfort, as well as the flight safety, with lower costs in terms of maintenance and operations.”
By July 2017, the prototype had logged more than 150 flight hours and had shown excellent flight qualities, for example in short take-off and landing performance. The most recent data for the landing run is only 820ft (250m) at maximum weight, a result that impressed Cape Air very much and, according to Tecnam, can be improved.
The P2012 Traveller’s certification for the European Aviation Safety Agency CS- 23 category and the US Federal Aviation Administration FAR Part 23 is expected by the end of 2018. These are the two highest classes in the general aviation category.
Tecnam has already checked the aircraft’s general layout is optimised and meets expectations. Only the last details are to be set up before launching series production later in 2017. The company envisages it will be ready to start the first deliveries by January 1, 2019. The first flight of the second prototype is scheduled for September 2017.
Big market potential
The commercial potential seems quite promising. Cape Air placed an order for 100 aircraft, but other markets have shown great interest. Mavilio said: “Just for having announced the launch of the P2012, we received many requests from a number of operators. This is because for a long time nobody had presented a new-generation aircraft in this category. We are really surprised by the requests coming from many companies from all over the world, such as from Australia, Africa, North Europe and the Middle East.”
TECNAM P2012 TRAVELLER CHARACTERISTICS (PROVISIONAL DATA)
Length: 11.8m (38.7ft)
Wingspan: 14m (45.93ft)
Height: 4.40m (14.40ft)
Max take-off weight: 3,600kg (7,936.6lb)
Empty weight: 2,250kg (4,960lb)
Max payload: 1.350kg (2,976lb)
Take-off run (max take-off weight): 350m (1,148ft)
Take-off run (with 15m obstacle): 600m (1,970ft)
Landing run (max take-off weight): 250m (820ft)
Landing run (with 15m obstacle): 500m (1,640ft)
Max speed (at 8,000ft): 240kts (444 km/h)
Cruise speed (75% at 10,000ft): 190kts (352km/h)
Stall speed (full flap): 60kts (111km/h)
Climb rate: 1,500ft/min (457m/min)
Max range: 1,137nm (2,105km) or 6.3 hours’ endurance
Fuel capacity: 800 litres (212 US gallons)
Payload with max fuel: 772kg (1,700lb)
Fuel consumption (75% at 10,000ft): 113.5 litres/hr (30 US gallons/hr)
Engines: Two Lycoming TEO-540-C1As delivering 375hp (279kW) each, coupled to variable pitch three-bladed propellers
There are very few competitors to the P2012 Traveller. Besides the Cessna 402C, production of which ended in 1985, there is the Cessna 208B Caravan. However, this is a single-engine turboprop, so has higher operating costs. In addition, the Traveller has two engines, which not only makes passengers more confident, but also gives higher flight safety over the sea. The P2012 has very good single-engine performance; after take-off at the maximum weight of 3,600kg (7,930lb) it can climb with one engine inoperative conditions at 300ft (91m) per minute.
The Traveller is configured for passenger transport, but it can be reconfigured quickly for cargo duties, emergency services work and parachute drops. Mavilio said: “We believe very much in the cargo version. We have studies that demonstrate an increasing request of freight transportation [closer] to a final destination. Our aircraft can link big hubs to small airfields, even with unpaved runways. The P2012, with its high wing, allows this kind of operation with a high level of safety. We look with interest at some markets, such as Africa, where strong aircraft with these features are greatly appreciated.”
Mavilio explained a number of factors impacted the design philosophy of the Traveller: “First, we produce aircraft designed by enthusiasts; our designers know perfectly what pilots want. Second, our experiences with ultralight aircraft, above all with the wellknown P92, allow us to find out innovative solutions for designing our aircraft. This knowhow is included in the aircraft certified for general aviation use. Many solutions that in the past were not considered, today are a basic part of our projects, with the specific aim to increase the quality, safety, and performance standards.”
Features and performance
The main features of the P2012 Traveller are latest generation technologies, easy maintenance, low operating costs and a robust construction of airframe and interiors.
The design has been developed following these guidelines.
The cabin had to offer easy access thanks to wide doors, a superior level of comfort (with the same space in front of all the seats), a large baggage hold, a short take-off run, a cruise speed of 190kts (352km/h) at 10,000ft (3,280m) and range of more than 900nm (1,680km).
The P2012 is unpressurised, but it is equipped with a de-icing system and is fully instrument flight rules. The cabin includes an air conditioning system that can be fully removed; its box is positioned in the rear fuselage, and can be used only when needed in summer, a feature that saves weight and improves fuel consumption and performance in the other periods of the year, and allows an increased baggage load.
The aircraft’s general configuration doesn’t come from Cape Air’s specific requests, but from evaluation and studies undertaken by Tecnam to make the Traveller interesting for a wide range of operators. This included the decision to adopt a high wing to ease passenger access to the cabin and airport handling. The high wing also allows the aircraft to operate more easily on unpaved runways, keeping propellers and engines far from the ground. The landing gear is fixed, which increases its strength, especially when flying from rough runways.
The engines are two six-cylinder turbocharged Lycoming TEO-540-C1As, delivering 375hp (279kW) each, coupled to three-bladed variable-pitch propellers. This engine type is called iE2 (Integrated Electronic Engine). It was designed to be controlled electronically and represents the most advanced Lycoming technology. The cabin can accommodate up to nine passengers, plus one or two pilots, and is equipped with large windows and four access doors (two for the pilots). One of the cabin access doors slides laterally and is used to load freight.
The P2012 prototype has the Garmin NXI avionics system, the new-generation of the Garmin G1000. Mavilio said: “Since the very beginning, Garmin has been one of our partners in the development of the Traveller. We had this equipment since before it was introduced to the public to test it together with Garmin.”
Mavilio said the unit price for a P2012 is around €2.2 million in basic configuration.
TECNAM BACKGROUND
Tecnam is a family-run company. After the death of co-founder Professor Luigi Pascale in March 2017, his nephew Paolo Pascale is the company’s new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
According to General Aviation Manufacturers Association data, Tecnam is the second-largest producer of general aviation aircraft behind Cirrus, and the largest in Europe. The firm produces 190–200 aircraft per year. There are two production plants, one at Capua, near Caserta, and one at Casoria, Naples, that produces composite parts.
The workforce numbers about 250. There is also a site in Florida used as a showroom and assembly location for the aircraft destined for US markets. There is a sales network of 65 dealers and aftersales support is carried out from Capua plant and through a network of about 100 qualified maintenance centres worldwide. Tecnam’s 2016 revenue was about €35 million. Tecnam was founded by Professor Luigi Pascale and his brother Giovanni. Their first aircraft, the P48B Astore, was built in a garage at home and flew for the first time on April 2, 1951, piloted by Mario De Bernardi. In 1957, the brothers established Partenavia, which produced the P57, P64 and P66 single-engine light aircraft and the twin-engine P68. Partenavia was acquired by Aeritalia in 1981 and then Aercosmos in 1993, before closing in 1998.
Tecnam was established by the Pascale brothers in 1986 to produce aircraft components for companies such as ATR, Aermacchi and Boeing. In 1992, when they were about 70, the brothers decided to take on a new challenge: producing ultralight aircraft. Their first ultralight produced under the Tecnam brand was the P92, of which more than 2,500 have been built. This type has logged more than 200,000 flying hours and is still produced in five versions. Tecnam also offers the single-engine P2002, P2008, Astore and P2010, plus the twin engine P2006. In total, the Pascale designs have been produced in more than 7,000 units, but only a small number (about 500) under the Partenavia brand.
Flying qualities
This is the opinion of De Stefano: “With the P2012, I had the right feeling since the very beginning: it is extremely pleasant in its shape and when I saw it for the first time I thought [about] what some pilots say about harmony in outline related to harmony of the flying qualities.
“Since the maiden flight, as I expected, the aircraft fully confirmed the features always present in Tecnam aircraft, making me feel at ease. In the following flights, specific modifications optimised and further improved the excellent features. The feedback from the first pilots that had the opportunity to fly it were all extremely positive: it is very satisfying to fly this aircraft.
“The excellent flying qualities are coupled with very advanced avionics and remarkable performance; the two 375hp engines allow [it] to fly in a very competitive way within its category. My activity as Tecnam test pilot is very intense, but also complete and rewarding; to pilot an aircraft in its first flight and to be part of its development is a privilege.”
On March 14, 2017, Professor Luigi Pascale, one of the founders of Tecnam, died at the age of 94. However, his spirit and vision in aviation design are well present in the company he built up. The P2012 Traveller is the last of his designs, but his team seems to have successfully spotted a very specific market niche. An aircraft of this class was missing for more than 40 years, and now, given the quality of this Italian company, the same interesting and remarkable marketing successes gained by previous designs are expected.
