Canards and pusher props are back in fashion

Joe C-P · October 24, 2008, 07:39:36 PM

Heard a strange plane coming overhead this morning. We're on a flyway for business planes, so I see a variety fly by. This was a unique sound, so I stuck my head out the window (no camera within reach) and saw one of these go over.

http://www.piaggioaero.com/en/

Very cool, and quite an odd sound.

JoeP

upnorth · October 25, 2008, 03:01:38 AM

The Avanti has to be my favorite turbo prop going these days just by virtue of its looks. totally sexy aircraft.

I saw one coming into the Brno airport about half a year ago and I quite agree about the sound, very distinctive.

sotoolslinger · October 25, 2008, 04:34:12 AM

Oh I got to see one of those while I was in Fresno. Completely cool and they do have a very distinctive engine note.
Looky

kitnut617 · October 25, 2008, 09:35:51 AM

Sanger have a 1/72 kit of this little aircraft, considering how most Sanger kits are this is a very nice vacuform with white metal parts and decals. I got one not long ago along with the Beechcraft Starship kit Sanger also does, another very nice vacuform with w/m & decals. It looks like the same guy mastered the moulds going by the style.

The RCMP use a real one for moving VIP's and the occasional high profile inmate around, there's a few photos of it on airliners.net

Spey_Phantom · October 25, 2008, 11:18:57 AM

the Italian national fire services visited Belgium this summer and they came in one of those shiney nice piaggio's.
i really would like a kit like that some day

upnorth · October 25, 2008, 11:53:36 AM

I really wish Italeri would pull their finger out and give us one in 1/72.

I think the only kits of them are the aformentioned Sanger Vac form which represents a pre production aircraft from what I'm told. Beyond that there is an Italian outfit making 1/72 production variant aircraft but in resin so a bit out of my economic reach.

GTX · October 25, 2008, 01:02:05 PM

Or better yet, in 1/48!!!

Regards,

Greg

dragon · October 25, 2008, 01:33:49 PM

Canards

sotoolslinger · October 25, 2008, 02:13:16 PM

MMMMM 1/48

I can see one of these coverted to a spec ops dropper/coin ac

Jschmus · October 27, 2008, 06:35:40 AM

I spotted one of those doing touch and gos at CLT last year. For some reason, it looks to me like half of an X-wing fighter.

Captain Canada · October 27, 2008, 08:38:54 AM

We see one buzz over our shop every once in awhile. For sure it's a cool sound...and fast !

GTX · October 31, 2008, 11:31:31 AM

I thought I read a while back there was a jet version in development.

Regards,

Greg

upnorth · November 01, 2008, 03:22:32 AM

Quote from: GTX on October 31, 2008, 11:31:31 AM
I thought I read a while back there was a jet version in development.

Regards,

Greg

I never read anything like that and it would surprise me to see a jet version.

My understanding is that the Avanti was specifically designed to give near jet performance while maintaining turboprop fuel economy. Basically it was to be a biz jet that wasn't a jet. A jet version would seem to defeat this priciple.

GTX · November 01, 2008, 11:32:41 AM

Did a little research and my memory was slightly off - back in 2006, Piaggio was studying designs for a new jet to compliment the P.180 Avanti II - see here.

Anyway, to end with, here is a nice pic from the Piaggio website see here for more in much larger format too.

Regards,

Greg

Jschmus · November 01, 2008, 12:41:53 PM

Greg, on a related note, last week I discovered that Piaggio worked on a bizjet previous to the Avanti, sort of.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaggio_PD-808

I did not know that Douglas worked on a bizjet, and it's hard to imagine anyone not buying a Douglas product. But it happened, and Piaggio didn't sell very many either.