In the Works: Evektor – EV-55 Outback | Aviation International News

In the Works: Evektor – EV-55 Outback

On March 30, Evektor rolled out its EV-55 Outback, a nine-
to 14-seat, high-wing twin turboprop, at the company’s factory in Kunovice, Czech Republic

By Matt Thurber • Editor-in-Chief

April 30, 2010

On March 30, Evektor rolled out its EV-55 Outback, a nine-
to 14-seat, high-wing twin turboprop, at the company’s factory in Kunovice, Czech Republic. First flight of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21-powered utility airplane is planned for the third quarter, two years behind the company’s original schedule. The EV-55 was designed using “advanced software” and constructed with composite materials, giving it what Evektor describes as a light yet sturdy and durable airframe. The main landing gear retracts into the fuselage, as on the Mitsubishi MU-2. De-icing is provided by boots on the wings and empennage.

Evektor and the Association of Aviation Manufacturers of the Czech Republic launched the project after conducting a marketing study in 2004 to determine market niches in general aviation aircraft that weren’t filled. A consortium of Czech companies managed by Evektor was established to develop the EV-55, which is expected to replace “already obsolete twin-engine production airplanes with capacity for six to nine passengers,” according to Evektor, “and successfully compete with single-engine turboprop airplanes which are currently
in production.”

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