The Partenavia P.68, now Vulcanair P68, is a
light aircraft
A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a maximum gross takeoff weight of or less.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 308. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997.
Light aircraft are used as utility aircraft c ...
designed by
Luigi Pascale
Luigi Pascale (1923 – 14 March 2017) was an Italian engineer designer of light aircraft. He was the founder of the aircraft manufacturers Partenavia and Tecnam, the latter a company he started with his brother Giovanni.
Biography
Luigi "Gino ...
and initially built by Italian
Partenavia
Partenavia Construzioni Aeronautiche was an Italian aircraft manufacturer that specialised in general aviation.
The company operated between 1957 and 1998. Founded by Professor Luigi Pascale, Partenavia became a limited company in 1959, and was a ...
.
It made its first flight on 25 May 1970, its type certification was granted on 17 November 1971 and was transferred to
Vulcanair
Vulcanair is an Italian aircraft manufacturer based in Casoria, near Naples.
History
Partenavia was established in 1957 by Prof. Luigi Pascale and produced a quite large family of single-engined sport aircraft which eventually culminated with ...
in 1998.
The original six-seat high-wing monoplane is powered by twin piston engines and is used for light transport and training. The P.68 Observer is an
observation aircraft
A surveillance aircraft is an aircraft used for surveillance. They are operated by military forces and other government agencies in roles such as intelligence gathering
This is a list of intelligence gathering disciplines.
HUMINT
Human ...
variant, and it was developed in a stretched, 10/11-seat twin
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 ...
derivative.
Development
Partenavia P.68 Victor
The type certification for the P.68 Victor, a
twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
piston engine,
high wing
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
monoplane with fixed
tricycle landing gear
Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle g ...
was applied for on 22 January 1969.
[
The Partenavia P.68 was designed as a six-seat ]light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...
transport and trainer powered by two Lycoming IO-360
The Lycoming O-360 is a family of four-cylinder, direct-drive, horizontally opposed, air-cooled, piston aircraft engines. Engines in the O-360 series produce between 145 and 225 horsepower (109 to 168 kW), with the basic O-360 producing ...
engines, it made its first flight on 25 May 1970 at Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
.
The type certification for the 9.20 m (30.18 ft) long P.68 was granted by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority
, seal = Emblem of Italy.svg
, seal_size = 100
, seal_caption = Seal of the Italian Republic
, logo =
, formed =
, jurisdiction = Government of Italy
, headquarters = Viale Castro Pretorio, 118, 00185 Roma RM, Italy
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, em ...
on 17 November 1971 for an 1860 kg (4100 lb) MTOW
The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) or maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) or maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of an aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot is allowed to attempt to take off, due to structural or other limits. The analogous ...
.[
It was approved by the ]FAA
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 ...
on 7 December 1971.
After a 300 h of flight test
Flight testing is a branch of aeronautical engineering that develops specialist equipment required for testing aircraft behaviour and systems. Instrumentation systems are developed using proprietary transducers and data acquisition systems. D ...
s, production was to start in May 1972 in a new plant at Naples Capodichino Airport
San Pietro a Patierno is a suburb of Naples, the chief city in Campania, Italy.
Geography
It is one of the largest suburbs of Naples and is relatively lightly populated compared to surrounding areas, with around 20,000 residents. The district of ...
at a rate of three aircraft per month.
The prototype was built at Arzano
Arzano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 9 km north of Naples.
Arzano borders the following municipalities: Casandrino, Casavatore, Casoria, Frattamaggiore, ...
, Italy, production began with 14 pre-production aircraft at new facilities in Casoria
Casoria (; nap, Casòria) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about northeast of Naples.
Casoria borders the following municipalities: Afragola, Arzano, Cardito, Casalnuovo d ...
, Italy.
The longer, 9.35 m (30.68 ft) P.68B Victor certification was applied for on 18 October 1973 and granted on 24 May 1974 for a 1960 kg (4321 lb) MTOW.[
Its unit cost was ]US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
82,000 in 1974 (US$ today).
Its fuselage was lengthened to create more space in the cockpit.
Both derived from the P.68B and 9.55 m (31.33 ft) long, the P.68R Victor has a retractable landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
and was certified on 31 July 1978 while the P.68C has a nose allowing a weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc.). Modern weather radars are mostly puls ...
, larger fuel tanks and increased weights, and was certified on 23 July 1979 with a 1990 kg (4387 lb) MTOW.
The P.68C-TC, certified on 29 April 1980, has turbocharged, Lycoming TIO-360-C1A6D engines.[
In 2021, the equipped price of the P.68C was US$1.19M, US$1.22M for the P.68R and US$1.31M for the P.68C-TC.
]
Partenavia P.68 Observer
The 9.43 m (30.94 ft) long P.68 Observer, derived from the P.68B with a transparent fuselage nose, adapted systems and larger fuel tanks, was certified on 12 June 1980.[
The observation aircraft for law enforcement were initially conversions of existing aircraft by German Sportavia-Putzer.
The 9.15 m (30.02 ft) long P.68TC Observer, a P.68 "Observer" with turbocharged engines, was certified on 18 June 1985.
The 9.54 m (31.30 ft) long P.68 "Observer 2 is a P.68 "Observer", with increased weights, upturned ]wing tip
A wing tip (or wingtip) is the part of the wing that is most distant from the fuselage of a fixed-wing aircraft.
Because the wing tip shape influences the size and drag of the wingtip vortices, tip design has produced a diversity of sha ...
s and modified systems, and was certified on 30 November 1989 for a 2084 kg (4594 lb) MTOW.[
−
]
Partenavia AP68TP-600 Viator
The 10.89-11.27 m (35.73-36.97 ft) long, retractable gear AP68TP-600 "Viator", with two Allison 250-B17C turboprops, has a 2850–3000 kg (6283-6614 lb) MTOW and was certified on 16 October 1986.
In 2021, its equipped price was $3.154M.
Partenavia AP68TP-300 Spartacus
The 9.90 m (32.48 ft) long, fixed gear AP68TP-300 Spartacus was certified on 10 December 1983 with two Allison 250-B17C turboprops and a 2600 kg (5732 lb) MTOW
The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) or maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) or maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of an aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot is allowed to attempt to take off, due to structural or other limits. The analogous ...
.[
the nine-seater development was helped by ]Aeritalia
Aeritalia was an aerospace engineering corporation based in Italy. It was formed out of the merger of two aviation companies, Fiat Aviazione and Aerfer, in 1969.
Aeritalia continued several programs of its preceding companies, perhaps most pro ...
, the prototype first flew in 1978 with a retractable undercarriage.
Based in Casoria
Casoria (; nap, Casòria) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about northeast of Naples.
Casoria borders the following municipalities: Afragola, Arzano, Cardito, Casalnuovo d ...
, Naples, and already manufacturing Partenavia spares, Vulcanair
Vulcanair is an Italian aircraft manufacturer based in Casoria, near Naples.
History
Partenavia was established in 1957 by Prof. Luigi Pascale and produced a quite large family of single-engined sport aircraft which eventually culminated with ...
(then Air Samanta) acquired the type certificate, aircraft spares and the former production plant in Milan for L1.4 billion ($780,000) in April 1998.
The type certificate was transferred on 25 November.
Vulcanair offers the P.68R, P68C, P.68C-TC, P.68TC Observer, P.68 Observer 2 and AP68TP-600 Viator.[
]
Variants
Operators
Military and government operators
; :
* Royal Bahamas Defence Force
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) is the military of The Bahamas. Since The Bahamas does not have an army or an air force, its navy composes the entirety of its armed forces. Under The Defence Act, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has been m ...
; :
* Chilean Navy
The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso.
History
Origins and the Wars ...
; :
* Hesse State Police
The Hessen State Police ( German: ''Hessische Polizei'') numbers approximately 15,500 police officers and 2,500 civilian employees.
Organisation
The seven regional police authorities are headquartered in Kassel (Nordhessen), Giessen (Mitt ...
; :
* Italian State Police
The ''Polizia di Stato'' ( State Police or P.S.) is one of the national police forces of Italy.
Alongside the Carabinieri, it is the main police force for providing police duties, primarily to cities and large towns, and with its child agencie ...
; :
* National Police Air Service
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) is a police aviation service that provides centralised air support to the 43
territorial police forces in England and Wales, as well as the three special police forces serving that area. It replaced the pr ...
; :
* California Department of Fish and Game
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protect ...
* New York State Police
The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the state of New York in the United States. It is part of the New York State Executive Department, and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 civilian members.
History
The State ...
* Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is an independent state agency of the state of Tennessee with the mission of managing the state's fish and wildlife and their habitats, as well as responsibility for all wildlife-related law enforcem ...
* Washington State Department of Natural Resources
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages over of forest, range, agricultural, and commercial lands in the U.S. state of Washington. The DNR also manages of aquatic areas which include shorelines, tidelands, lands und ...
Former
; :
* Bophutatswana Air Force
Incidents and accidents
The P.68 was involved in 86 accidents and incidents worldwide as reported in the Aviation Safety Network
The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) is an independent, nonprofit, international organization concerning research, education, advocacy, and communications in the field of aviation safety. FSF brings together aviation professionals from all sectors ...
wiki database, including 58 hull loss
A hull loss is an aviation accident that catastrophically damages the aircraft beyond economical repair, resulting in a total loss. The term also applies to situations in which the aircraft is missing, the search for their wreckage is terminated ...
es.
September 11, 1983: A P.68C, N29561, performing an aerobatic display broke up in flight during an airshow in Plainview, Texas
Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,194.
Geography
Plainview is located at (34.191204, –101.718806) and is located on the Llano Estacado.
According ...
. The NTSB report revealed that analysis of the video showed the aircraft performed a fly-by over the runway, exceeding its Vne (Velocity, never-exceed) speed by 27 knots. The pilot then executed a sharp nose-up pitch change of about 8 degrees, which spiked the aircraft's dynamic load factor to 8.3Gs and caused both wings to fail in the main spar just outside both engine nacelles then separate from the aircraft, which then began rotating, causing the rear fuselage to twist along its length between its cabin and empennage
The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third ed ...
. The aircraft then plummeted 250 feet down just beyond the group of spectators.
Specifications (P.68C)
See also
* Aero Commander 500 family
The Aero Commander 500 family is a series of light-twin piston-engined and turboprop aircraft originally built by the Aero Design and Engineering Company in the late 1940s, renamed the Aero Commander company in 1950, and a division of Rockwell ...
* Beechcraft Baron
The Beechcraft Baron is a light twin-engined piston aircraft designed and produced by Beechcraft. The aircraft was introduced in 1961. A low-wing monoplane developed from the Travel Air, it remains in production.
Design and development
The di ...
* Britten-Norman BN-2 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 ...
* Cessna 310
The Cessna 310 is an American four-to-six-seat, low-wing, twin-engine monoplane produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engine aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.
Development
The 310 first fle ...
* Diamond DA62
The Diamond DA62 is a five- to seven-seat, twin-engine light aircraft produced by Diamond Aircraft Industries and first announced in March 2012.
The prototype, designated as the DA52, first flew on 3 April 2012 after six months of development. In ...
* Piper PA-34 Seneca
The Piper PA-34 Seneca is a twin-engined light aircraft, produced in the United States by Piper Aircraft. It has been in non-continuous production since 1971. The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying.
Development
The Senec ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
{{Partenavia/Vulcanair aircraft
1970s Italian civil utility aircraft
P.68
Vulcanair aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1970
High-wing aircraft
Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft