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Piaggio P.180 Avanti

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P180 Avanti
Role Executive transport
Manufacturer Piaggio Aero
First flight 26 September 1986
Status In production
Primary users Avantair
Italian Armed Forces
K-air[1][2]
AirGO Flugservice GmbH[3]
Produced 1986-present
Number built 216 delivered as of November 2011[4]

The Piaggio P180 Avanti is an Italian twin-engine turboprop aircraft produced by Piaggio Aero. It seats up to nine passengers in a pressurized cabin, and may be flown by one or two pilots. The design uses a small forward wing and a main wing combination that places the wing spars outside of the passenger cabin area. Although the front wing resembles a canard configuration, a conventional horizontal stabilizer on the tail provides longitudinal stability and pitch trim. It features a lifting laminar flow fuselage and has engines in pusher configuration.[5]

Development

Showing the continuously-varying curve of the fuselage cross-section and forward wing
The Avanti’s forward wing flaps deploy automatically with the main wing flaps to maintain neutral pitch trim.
Planform view of the Avanti, highlighting its unusual design
On climb out
Avanti parked on tarmac
File:Avanti-cockpit.jpg
Cockpit and instrument panel aboard an older P180 Avanti. The Avanti II features updated avionics.

The P180 design was tested in wind tunnels in Italy and the U.S. in 1980 and 1981. A collaboration with Learjet to develop the aircraft began in 1983 but ended on 13 January 1986, with Piaggio continuing development on its own. The first prototype flew on 23 September 1986.[6] U.S. and Italian certification was obtained on 7 March 1990.[7] Learjet's influence can be seen in the two "delta fins" mounted on the bottom of the tail, as found on most Learjets; these devices provide aerodynamic recovery force in the event of an aerodynamic stall.

The first 12 fuselages were manufactured in Wichita, with H & H Parts and Plessey Midwest, then flown to Italy for final assembly. Avanti Aviation Wichita ran out of money in 1994; the project languished until a group of investors led by Piero Ferrari became involved in 1998. The 100th aircraft was delivered in October 2005 and the 150th in May 2008. Piaggio has reported that as of October 2010, the Avanti and Avanti II fleets have now logged over 500,000 flight hours.[8]

An improved Avanti II obtained European and U.S. certification in November 2005. Six months later, 70 planes had been ordered, including 36 by Avantair. The Avanti II features uprated Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop engines and flies about 18 km/h (11 mph) faster, with better fuel economy; an all-new "glass panel" avionics suite reduces cockpit clutter. In addition to heading, attitude and navigation information, flat panel color LCD displays add collision avoidance (TCAS), ground proximity (TAWS) and real-time graphic weather depiction.

Design

The Avanti's turboprop engines are placed on a mid-fuselage, high aspect ratio wing, located behind the cabin. The design utilizes both a T-tail and a pair of small, fixed anhedral forward wings that have flaps. The arrangement of the wing surfaces allows the horizontal stabilizer to maintain nearly neutral lift, as opposed to a conventional configuration, where the horizontal stabilizer creates a downward force to counteract the nose-down moment generated by the center of gravity being forward of the aircraft neutral point. This is patented as "Three-Lifting-Surface Configuration" (3LSC)[9]. The Avanti II's forward wing flaps automatically descend in concert with main wing flaps. This reduces the force the horizontal stabilizer has to produce to compensate the pitch-down effect of the wing flap deflection.

In its aircraft documentation, the manufacturer emphasizes that the presence of the forward wing permits a reduction of size of the main wing (as with any canard-configuration aircraft), while the presence of the horizontal tail allows for a simpler forward wing configuration[10].

The forward wing angle of incidence relative to the fuselage is set so it stalls before the main wing, producing an automatic nose-down effect; its five-degree negative dihedral keeps the stream wash interference clear of the engine inlets, the main wing and the horizontal stabilizer.[11]

Cabin cross-section varies continuously along the length of the aircraft; the shape approximates a NACA airfoil section, and the slowly changing curve helps prolong laminar flow on the front of the fuselage. Piaggio claims the fuselage contributes up to 20% of the Avanti's total lift with the front and rear wing providing the remaining 80%. Due to the unusual fuselage shape, the mid cabin is considerably wider than the cockpit. The front and rear airfoils are custom sections designed by Dr. Jerry Gregorek of Ohio State University's Aeronautical and Astronautical Research Laboratory to achieve a drag-reducing 50% laminar flow at cruise. The company claims the overall design of the P180 Avanti II enables the wing to be 34% smaller than on conventional aircraft.[12]

The P180 is known for its fuel efficiency relative to small turbojets that fly in the same speed and altitude range. Through low drag, the aircraft is faster and more fuel efficient than other turboprop aircraft. Flight International stated: "The Avanti has no direct turboprop competitors, its closest jet rivals are the Raytheon Premier I and the Cessna Citation CJ2+...Piaggio says low-drag laminar flow is maintained to around 50% of wing chord, compared with around 20-25% for conventional tractor turboprops where propeller wash disturbs the airflow over the wing...specific air range at high altitude is 3.4km/kg (0.84nm/lb) compared with around 2km/kg (0.49nm/lb) for current jets or 2.7km/kg (0.67nm/lb) for other turboprops.[13] By this estimate, mileage is 70% better per-fuel-unit than comparable jet aircraft, however this extreme efficiency is achieved only at a relatively slow 315 KTAS and FL410.[14] P180 Avanti II Specifications now show slightly lower numbers for specific range of 3.1km/kg (0.76nm/lb).

As the propeller disks and engine exhausts are located behind the cabin, the interior noise is lower than conventional turboprop aircraft. Piaggio quotes 68 dBA. However, due to the strongly disturbed flow in which the pusher propellers operate, the exterior noise is higher than desirable. The exterior noise level and its higher pitched sound has been shown to be the result primarily of the interaction of the turbine engine exhaust flows and the 5 bladed pusher props (est. +9 dB). The reduction of external noise is an active research topic at Piaggio.[15] On take off, the Avanti has been measured at 81.9 dBA, slightly lower than the Beechcraft King Air at 82.8 dBA. This is below FAA stage 3 noise limits which set a maximum of 89 EPNdB for take off.[16][17] However, the P180 has been the subject of noise complaints at airports such as Naples Municipal Airport, Florida, where the airport authority determined it was the noisiest aircraft using that facility.[18] Alan Parker, chairman of the Naples Municipal Airport Authority's technical committee, described the Avanti as "irritating loud" and compared the high pitched sound "to fingernails on a chalk board".[19]

Variants

P.180 Avanti
First production variant.
P180 M
Military version with a combination passenger/freighter configuration for use as a VIP and light utility transport.
P.180 RM
Variant for use in radio calibration.
P.180 AMB
Air ambulance variant.
P.180 APH
Aerial cartography.
P.180 Avanti II
Variant with improved avionics.[20]

Operators

Civil

The Avanti is popular with air charter companies and small feeder airlines, and is also operated by many companies as a business aircraft.

Military

Italian Air Force P180 Avanti
 Bulgaria
 Italy
 United Arab Emirates

Specifications (P180 Avanti)

Data from Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999-2000 [22]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one or two pilots
  • Capacity: up to nine passengers
  • Cabin dimensions: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) high, 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) wide, 4.45 m (14 ft 7 in) long

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Comparable aircraft of historic interest

Related lists

References

Notes
  1. ^ K-air, Retrieved 28 April 2012
  2. ^ K-air fleet details, Retrieved 28 April 2012
  3. ^ AirGO About, Retrieved 13 April 2012
  4. ^ Morrison, Murdo (6 December 2011). "In Focus: Piaggio looks to special missions market with P180 Avanti and new jet". Flight International. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  5. ^ "Fuel Miser". Flying Magazine. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  6. ^ Taylor 1988, p. 163.
  7. ^ Taylor 1999, p. 439.
  8. ^ NBAA: Piaggio embarks on 'new phase' of jet development
  9. ^ [1] United States Patent Office
  10. ^ [2] P180 Avanti-Specification and Description, page 55, Appendix A - Notes about the 3-Lifting-Surface design
  11. ^ [3] P180 Avanti-Specification and Description, page 5, GENERAL DESCRIPTION
  12. ^ Efficiency Piaggio Aero
  13. ^ Collins, Peter (1 November 2005), "Flight Test: Piaggio Avanti II - Hard to beat", Flight International
  14. ^ Black, Gary (March 1990.), [www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA227604/ "Aircraft Configuration Study for Experimental 2-Place Aircraft and RPVs"], Naval Postgraduate School Thesis {{citation}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Tonal and Broadband Noise Calculations for Aeroacoustic Optimization of a Pusher Propeller", Journal Of Aircraft, 47 (3), May–June 2010, retrieved 28 December 2011
  16. ^ Aircraft Noise Terminology - Palm Beach International Airport (undated), FAA Stage Classifications, retrieved 13 December 2011 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Federal Aviation Administration (undated), Noise Levels for U.S. Certificated and Foreign Aircraft (PDF), retrieved 13 December 2011 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Migual, Tracy X. (12 April 2010). "Naples airport addressing noise complaints with Avanti aircraft". Naples News. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  19. ^ Niles, Russ (13 December 2011). "Naples Targets Piaggio Noise". AVweb. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  20. ^ EASA TCDS EASA.A.059 Piaggio P.180
  21. ^ Aboulafia, Richard. Jane's Civil Aircraft, 1996, HarperCollings Publishers, p. 197
  22. ^ a b c Taylor 1999, pp. 438—439.
  23. ^ Flight International 15–21 December 2009, p. 43.
  24. ^ Peaford, Alan. "PARIS AIR SHOW: UAE selects Piaggio Avanti for multi-utility role". Flightglobal.com. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  25. ^ Taylor 1988, p. 164.
Bibliography
  • Taylor, John W.R. (ed.) Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Defence Data, 1988. ISBN 0-7106-0867-5.
  • Taylor, Michael J.H. (ed.) Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000 Edition. London: Brassey's, 1999. ISBN 1-85753-245-7.
  • "World Air Forces Directory 2009". Flight International, 15–21 December 2009, pp. 33–53.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Piaggio P180.

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