A Latrobe Valley aircraft manufacturer has won a design award for an Australian-first 10-seater small airplane that is more fuel-efficient and easy to handle for less-experienced pilots.
GippsAero took out an Excellence in Innovation award at the annual Aviation/Aerospace Australia Airspace Awards for its Airvan 10.
GippsAero organisational development manager Lloyd Clark described the new aircraft as a “unique milestone” for the Australian aviation industry.
“No one else has done this in Australia. It opens up a niche in the market that previously didn’t exist,” Mr Clark said.
The Airvan 10 is a step-up from current eight-seater models by providing more cabin space, with the option of two extra removable seats.
He said the single-engine turbo prop aircraft was more fuel-efficient than those with piston engines that ran on avgas and filled a market demand for such an aircraft.
“It’s a safe, pilot-friendly aircraft, designed for pilots with lower levels of experience to fly in demanding environments,” Mr Clark said.
Mr Clark said the Airvan 10 was great in remote areas such as the outback, tropics, snow or small Pacific islands.
He said it would be a good model for humanitarian aid work, surveillance, tourism or for skydive clubs to pack in more cargo.
Mr Clark said they were yet to go to market with the new model and were still in the development stage.
“We are working towards potential commercial production,” he said.
