Tecnam P2002 Sierra
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The Tecnam P2002 Sierra is a two-seat, low-wing,
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 and constructed by the Italian aircraft manufacturer
Tecnam Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam is an Italian aeronautics manufacturer. It was founded in 1986. The company has two primary activities: producing aircraft components for various other manufacturers, and manufacturing its own range of light ai ...
. Introduced during the early 2000s, the aircraft quickly became a staple of the company's product lineup, comprising 70 percent of its available production capacity during some years.


Development

Development of the Tecnam Sierra commenced during 2002. It was developed for compliance with both to the very light aircraft (VLA) regulations present in Europe as well as the light sport aircraft (LSA) regulations used in the United States. Under the rules laid up in either zone, the aircraft does not need to be provided with a recovery parachute. However, primarily as a consequence of its maximum weight (in a standard configuration) of 580 kg, the Sierra cannot be operated as a LSA in either Australia or Canada due to their lower weight limitation of 550 kg present on LSA. By 2005, the Sierra had risen to particularly prominence in Tecnam's lineup, the company having dedicated around 70 percent of its total aircraft production capacity to manufacturing the Sierra alone. By this point, the aircraft was being produced at a rate of six per week, while the company claimed to have an order backlog spanning the following six months. Furthermore, the Sierra could also be supplied in a near 'ready to go' configuration suited to the European trainer market, which was one reported consequence of having secured its VLA certification. By mid-2005, Tecnam had reportedly completed delivery of roughly 180 Sierras. Since the introduction of the original model, Tecnam has continued to develop the Sierra and pursue additional certification of the type. In the 2010s, in response to customer demand for more luxurious features, the firm introduced the improved Sierra MK II; it is available in three styles: standard, premium, and power. During February 2020, it was announced that the Sierra Mk II had been certified as an ultralight aircraft by Germany authorities, clearing the type for use across most of Europe. Being permitted an increased maximum weight under this certification, the aircraft can thus be equipped with additional equipment such as a
Ballistic Recovery Systems Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc., doing business as BRS Aerospace (and commonly referred to as simply BRS), is a manufacturer of aircraft ballistic parachutes. The company was formed in 1980 by Boris Popov of Saint Paul, Minnesota, after he su ...
(BRS) parachute, new avionics, increased fuel capacity, and various comfort improvements within the cockpit.


Design

The Tecnam P2002 Sierra is a two-seat, low-wing,
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 ...
. A major market for the Sierra is the flight training sector; accordingly, its design and several of its major features, such as the use of a low-mounted wing and a
bubble canopy A bubble canopy is an aircraft canopy constructed without bracing, for the purpose of providing a wider unobstructed field of view to the pilot, often providing 360° all-round visibility. The designs of bubble canopies can drastically vary; so ...
, result in the aircraft being particularly well-suited to use as a trainer. Its construction principally comprises conventional
aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
, and enables the aircraft to withstand the maximum load limits of +4/-2g. The wing of the Sierra, consisting of a relatively straightforward
planform In technical drawing and computer graphics, a multiview projection is a technique of illustration by which a standardized series of orthographic two-dimensional pictures are constructed to represent the form of a three-dimensional object. Up to ...
albeit with
stall strip A stall strip is a small component fixed to the leading edge of the wing of an airplane to modify its aerodynamic characteristics.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms'', third edition, page 487. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. The ...
s present on the
leading edge The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...
s and gently upturned fairings at the tips, was designed in-house by Tecnam. The wing also accommodates a pair of integral tanks that provides a maximum fuel capacity of 100 litres. The wing is also furnished with electrically actuated
flap Flap may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Flap'' (film), a 1970 American film * Flap, a boss character in the arcade game ''Gaiapolis'' * Flap, a minor character in the film '' Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'' Biology and he ...
s that are fully-variable between 0° and 40°; the flaps are controlled via a lever on the base of the left-hand instrument console and their position displayed on a gauge mounted at the top-right portion of the engine instrument cluster. The aircraft features conventional flight controls, using
pushrod A valvetrain or valve train is a mechanical system that controls the operation of the intake and exhaust valves in an internal combustion engine. The intake valves control the flow of air/fuel mixture (or air alone for direct-injected engines) ...
s and cables that connect with the
aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...
s, all-moving
horizontal stabiliser A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplan ...
and
rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...
. These controls include an electrically actuated pitch
trim Trim or TRIM may refer to: Cutting * Cutting or trimming small pieces off something to remove them ** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process ** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees Decoration * Trim (sewing), or ...
function, which is operated via two separate buttons on top of each control column for raising and lowering. A steerable nosewheel provides a high degree of ground manoeuvrability, being controlled by the rudder pedals.
Hydraulic Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...
ally-actuated disc brakes are present on the main wheels, operated by a vertical lever on the cockpit floor that also controls the parking brake, thus the presence of a locking switch. An engine-driven generator provides electrical power for the flight instrumentation and other onboard equipment, such as the
GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
navigation system,
VHF Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter. Frequencies immediately below VHF ...
radio set,
transponder In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend word, blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''. In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a T ...
. Some of the instrumentation, such as for the engine, uses analogue gauges. As standard, the instrument console features four flight instruments. Each aircraft is typically powered by a single Rotax 912 S2 engine, capable of . In a standard configuration, the engine drives a three-blade fixed-pitch propeller; various alternative propellers can be installed, including both fixed-pitch and variable-pitch models along with two and three-bladed models. The engine is controlled via a pair of push/pull throttle levers, one being centrally mounted at the instrument panel's base and the other to the left of the instrument console, there is no mixture control present. Heating of the cockpit is provided via ducted air from the engine, while cooling and ventilation is provided by multiple side
louver A louver (American English) or louvre (British English British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". Mor ...
s. The cockpit is covered by a sliding
bubble canopy A bubble canopy is an aircraft canopy constructed without bracing, for the purpose of providing a wider unobstructed field of view to the pilot, often providing 360° all-round visibility. The designs of bubble canopies can drastically vary; so ...
, this can be opened mid-flight if desired,Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011–12'', page 78 & 169. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. although the presence of both a top lock and two side safety locks prevent the canopy opening unintentionally. Even when closed, the bubble canopy reportedly provides excellent levels of external visibility to the pilot. The Sierra possesses relatively gentle handling qualities, being particularly suited to use as a basic trainer aircraft. In addition to possessing benign stall characteristics, including easily recognisable indications of pre-stall buffeting and being controllable post-stall in roll via the ailerons. In terms of survivability, the aircraft is relatively robust and possesses no apparent deficient aspects to those of contemporary trainer aircraft. According to aerospace periodical
Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's oldes ...
, the Sierra is described as being able to "outperform the old
Cessna 150 The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 22-23. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. In 19 ...
in virtually every flight regime".


Variants

;P2002 LSA :Approved as
light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...
with gross weight. ;P2002 Sierra Mk II :P2002 with revised cabin and avionics, and powered by
Rotax 915 The Rotax 915 iS is an Austrian aircraft engine, produced by Rotax of Gunskirchen for use in ultralight aircraft, homebuilt aircraft, light-sport aircraft, small helicopters and gyroplanes. The engine was type certified in 2017. The engine was fi ...
iS engine. Available in ultralight and LSA approved versions. ;P2002 JF :Model 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 ...
. A variable-pitch propeller version was certified by the
European Aviation Safety Agency The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monitorin ...
in 2012. :A version with hand controls for disabled pilots is also available factory-fitted. ;P2002 JF Sierra Mk II : Improved P2002 JF with revised cabin and avionics. ;P2002 JR :Model with inward-retracting hydraulically retractable tricycle landing gear ;P2002 EA :Kit Built 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 ...
;P2002 RG :Kit Built model with outward-retracting pneumatic retractable tricycle landing gear ;Astore :Lighter derivative of P-2002-JF. Note that certified models have hydraulic gear and propeller, kit RG model has pneumatic gear and electric propeller.


Operators

The P2002 is mostly operated by private individuals and flight schools.


Military Operators

; *
Argentine Air Force "Argentine Wings" , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 August (anniversary) 1 May (Baptism of fire during the Falklands War) , equipment = 139 aircraft , equipment_label = , battles = * Operation Independence * Operation Soberanía * Falklan ...
:8 P2002JF were ordered in 2016. ; *
Hellenic Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 8 November , equipment = , equipment_label ...
:12 P2002JF were ordered in May 2018, the first was delivered in October 2018, and the final three delivered on 5 April 2019.


Specifications (P2002-LSA)


References

* *


External links


2017 Tecnam P2002 Sierra Mk2 via planeandpilotmag.com

Tecnam P2002 Sierra via youtube.com
{{Tecnam aircraft Tecnam aircraft 2000s Italian civil utility aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Light-sport aircraft