The Evektor EV-55 Outback is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft designed and built in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
by
Evektor-Aerotechnik
Evektor-Aerotechnik is a Czech aircraft manufacturer based in Kunovice, Czech Republic. The company produces range of light sport aircraft, training, advanced ultralight aircraft and electric aircraft.
Evektor-Aerotechnik is also developin ...
. The prototype first flew on 24 June 2011.
The project's development was suspended in March 2017.
Development
In 2004 the company announced its plan to design and construct a two-engined utility aircraft that would carry up to 14 passengers or 4000 lb (1800 kg) of cargo, and operate from unimproved fields and at high-altitude airports.
The first prototype, an EV-55M (military version), flew from
Kunovice Airport
Kunovice Airport is an international airport located about 5 km (3 mi) from Uherské Hradiště, Czech Republic in the town of Kunovice. The airport is home to three aircraft manufacturers: Czech Sport Aircraft, Evektor-Aerotechnik ...
in June 2011, with company pilot Josef Charvat and military pilot Maj. Jiri Hana at the controls.
It was estimated at $2.1 to $2.2 million in 2012.
The first production-conforming aircraft flew from Kunovice in April 2016.
In June 2018, its price was $4 million and two aircraft should finish development flights with 200 hours in 2016, for 500 total hours.
Evektor secured enough investment to complete the certification process scheduled for 2017, with a minority investment from a
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n company backed by the country's former premier
Mahathir bin Mohamad
Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...
, but not to begin full production.
[
The project's development was suspended on 16 March 2017 due to "some uncertainties" with Evektor's Malaysian investor.
By December 2018, it was touted as a basis for an EVE-55 ]hybrid electric aircraft A hybrid electric aircraft is an aircraft with a hybrid electric powertrain. As the energy density of lithium-ion batteries is much lower than aviation fuel, a hybrid electric powertrain may effectively increase flight range compared to pure electri ...
conversion to fly in 2020, with only one PT6A-21 running a generator in the rear compartment, for much lower noise, an 18% fuel saving and the same payload and performance: a 3 hours endurance and 40 minutes from electric power only.
Design
The EV-55 is of conventional high-wing utility design with a T-tail
A T-tail is an empennage configuration in which the tailplane is mounted to the top of the fin. The arrangement looks like the capital letter T, hence the name. The T-tail differs from the standard configuration in which the tailplane is ...
. The prototype aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21 turboprop engines (535 shaft horsepower), driving four-blade propellers. The wing is mounted atop a nearly-square fuselage, which has five windows per side. The trailing-link tricycle landing gear retracts into the nose section or pods on the lower fuselage. Expected maximum cruise speed is 220 knots (407 km/h).[
With nine passengers, range is 800nm (1,480km), it can take-off in 410m and land in 520m and with more speed, range and short take-off and landing capability, it can replace ageing piston-twins like the ]Cessna 421
The Cessna 421 Golden Eagle is an American six or seven seat twin-engined light transport aircraft, developed in the 1960s by Cessna as a pressurized version of the earlier Cessna 411.
Development
The Cessna 421 was first produced in May 196 ...
and Britten-Norman Islander
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. Still in production, the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial air ...
, or the smaller Cessna Caravan
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna.
The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982.
The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargomas ...
single turboprop when the payload-range
Payload is the object or the entity which is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of ...
of a larger turboprop such as the L-410
The Let L-410 Turbolet is a twin-engine short-range transport aircraft, manufactured by the Czech Republic, Czech aircraft manufacturer Let Kunovice (named Aircraft Industries since 2005), often used as an airliner. The aircraft is capable of lan ...
or Viking Twin Otter
The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted ...
is not needed.
The less expensive, unpressurised EV-55 won't compete with the Pilatus PC-12
The Pilatus PC-12 is a pressurized, single-engined, turboprop aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland, since 1991. It was designed as a high-performance utility aircraft that incorporates a large aft cargo door in ad ...
or Beechcraft King Air
The Beechcraft King Air is a line of American utility aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The King Air line comprises a number of twin-turboprop models that have been divided into two families. The Model 90 and 100 series developed in the 1960s ...
. [
The 5.02m x 1.61m cabin standard layout is five and four seats with a cargo compartment separated by a semi bulkhead and a L-410 sized double door at the rear.
It is equipped with a full glass cockpit, Czech firm ]Avia
Avia Motors s.r.o. is a Czech automotive manufacturer. It was founded in 1919 as an aircraft maker, and diversified into trucks after 1945. As an aircraft maker it was notable for producing biplane fighter aircraft, especially the B-534. Avia ...
makes the four-blade propellers and Aero Vodochody
Aero Vodochody (commonly referred to as Aero) is a Czech aircraft company. Its main production facilities are located at Vodochody Airport in the Prague-East District, on the municipal territories of Vodochody and Odolena Voda.
During the C ...
the landing gear.
Specifications (EV-55)
See also
References
External links
*
{{Evektor-Aerotechnik aircraft
2010s Czech civil utility aircraft
High-wing aircraft
Outback
The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...
Aircraft first flown in 2011
Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft