The GippsAero GA10 Airvan, marketed as the Airvan 10, is a 10-seat, turbo prop, single-engined
utility aircraft currently being developed by
GippsAero
GippsAero (formerly Gippsland Aeronautics) is an Australian aircraft manufacturer based at Latrobe Valley Airport in Morwell, Victoria. The company builds single-engined utility aircraft. These include the multi-role GA8 Airvan and the agricul ...
(formerly Gippsland Aeronautics) of
Victoria, Australia
Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in Au ...
.
Development
Its 20-minute first flight was completed in May 2012. In mid-2015, the aircraft was planned to be certified in 2015, but later in the year no schedule was claimed.
It was certificated by the Australian
Civil Aviation Safety Authority on 19 May 2017, as well as the American
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
.
In January 2018, two GA10s were flying: the prototype and the first production aircraft, which GippsAero hopes to deliver in the second half of 2018.
[
On 4 June 2018, during flight tests supported by the National Test Pilot School from the ]Mojave Air & Space Port
The Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field is in Mojave, California, United States, at an elevation of . It is the first facility to be licensed in the United States for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft, being certified as a sp ...
in southern California, a GA10 crashed in the Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...
.
The two pilots parachuted safely from about above ground.[
]
Design
After successful development of the eight-seat GA8 Airvan piston-engined aircraft, the design has been stretched and re-engined with a turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...
engine to increase seating and payload capacity, resulting in the GA10.general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
customers.
The GA10 retains the aerodynamic design of the GA8 and the intent is to retain as many current production parts as possible.[ Similarly to the GA8, a ]STOL
A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a conventional fixed-wing aircraft that has short runway requirements for takeoff and landing. Many STOL-designed aircraft also feature various arrangements for use on airstrips with harsh conditio ...
kit will be developed for the GA10.
The GA10 should be a capable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform, after the piston GA8, carrying an electro-optical
Electro–optics is a branch of electrical engineering, electronic engineering, materials science, and material physics involving components, electronic devices such as lasers, laser diodes, LEDs, waveguides, etc. which operate by the propaga ...
/infrared sensor
Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...
(EO/IR) ball in a modified underside baggage bay for an unobstructed 360° view.
Specifications
See also
References
External links
Gippsland Aeronautics Official Site
*
{{GippsAero aircraft
GA10
Single-engined tractor aircraft
2010s Australian civil utility aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 2012