Thus it was a deliberate decision by Tecnam to contest the single-engined light aircraft market with a new-technology twin. In contemplating the company’s first four-seater, Tecnam briefly considered producing a single – but realised it would have been just another one of dozens of types for buyers to choose from – all of which are generally similar. So in entering this most popular (and populous) general aviation sector with an aircraft type that other manufacturers appear never to have considered, Tecnam needed to think outside the square to come up with a desirable, yet economically realistic alternative. From performance predictions and advanced design work, it appears as if they have succeeded.

While most (piston) aircraft manufacturers cling to Stone-age technology engines (even in the latest 21st century designs) Tecnam has drawn from its highly successful experience with its range of light singles – both microlight and certified aircraft – in selecting the lightweight Rotax 912 engine to power the P2006T. With 100 hp per side, the 200 hp P2006T, with hydraulic constant-speed propellers, will have a 75% cruise of 147 kts – only 3 knots less than the Cirrus SRV-G2 (also with 200 hp).

The P2006T’s designer, Professor Luigi Pascale, considered many options before deciding on the Rotax powerplants. He originally contemplated – and hoped for – a suitable modern aero-diesel, especially in light of the increasing scarcity of suitable high-quality Avgas worldwide. He considered a number of alternatives including the Thielert diesel (as used in the Diamond Twinstar), the French SMA, an Italian common-rail diesel developed by the FIAT Research Centre, as well as a (stillborn) proposal to develop a new lightweight four-cylinder engine in conjunction with the Polytechnic Institute of Naples, but none fitted the bill of providing enough power from the kind of light weight his new design demanded.

By way of comparison, the Rotax 912S, weighing 64 kg, has a frontal area of 0.15 m2 while the 180 hp Lycoming O 360-A1A, with a weight of 146 kg, has a frontal area of 0.64 m2; thus, on the P2006T, its 200 installed hp will have a total weight of only 128 kg and a frontal area of only 0.30 m2.

The Rotax will run on automotive fuel as well as AVGAS – negating significant logistics difficulties in many places while simultaneously saving costs. The propellers will run at under 2,400 RPM at full power compared with approximately 2,700 in ‘conventionally’ powered designs, thus reducing noise.

For its new twin, Tecnam has stuck to another of its provenly successful design features in keeping everything else as light as possible – or more accurately, no heavier than it needs to be – a recipe that has consistently defied potential Tecnam critics. The Rotax engines and carefully designed structure will result in an overall package with a lower maximum weight than almost all the four-place singles it is intended to compete with (predicted to be 1,090 kg) while offering a greater useful load (around 460 kg)!

Tecnam expects the P2006T to have a maximum rate of climb of 1,400 ft/min with a single-engined climb rate of 350 ft/min to 5,000 ft. While 350 ft/min on one engine will not produce any time-to-height records, it is at least comparable to that of most (larger) piston twins – and it certainly beats the engine-out rate of climb of any of its intended single-engined ‘competition’!

If the P2006T bears a striking resemblance to the Partenavia P68, there is a very good reason; Professor Pascale was also the Partenavia’s original designer. As he did with the P68, Professor Pascale chose a high wing design that would allow the engines to be mounted in the wing rather than stretched forward on two unnecessarily heavy lengthy nacelles that would have been required with a low-wing design.

For the same reasons of low cost and design simplicity inherent in all Tecnam’s successful designs, the P2006T will be constructed entirely of aluminium. The aircraft will feature large windows and will be available in both fixed and retractable versions, although the first production model will be the retractable. The main reason for producing the retractable first was to ensure it would be immediately available to equip flying schools with a high-performance IFR twin with all the ‘bells and whistles’ necessary to train professional pilots. Also in line with its professional pilot-trainer role, the P2006T will incorporate a state-of-the-art glass cockpit.

There are large fleets of ageing training twins all over the globe – aircraft that, while increasingly difficult to maintain – are incredibly expensive to replace. While there are some beautiful aircraft available to do the job, they are simply too expensive – and largely unnecessary – for most flying schools. Prior to the P2006T, there was no realistically affordable prospective replacement on the horizon for flying schools struggling along with outdated, maintenance-intensive twin-engined dinosaurs and as fuel prices continue to escalate, the timing of the introduction of this new class of aircraft couldn’t be better.

The new P2006T will make multi-engine training as affordable as current single-engined aircraft private hire – it will be a realistic possibility for a great many pilots who might not otherwise have considered the possibility.

As good as the P2006T is going to be for clubs and flying schools, it will also be an outstanding private owner’s aircraft – a twin for the price of a single, using the same amount of fuel as a single, but offering significantly better performance – and any hangar capable of accommodating a C172 will fit the P2006T. The Tecnam name already has a strong brand-loyalty among owners and there is no doubt that many of them will want to upgrade to the new Tecnam flagship twin.

Tecnam devoted a great deal of research and thought into coming up with something revolutionary for general aviation and with substantial numbers of orders worldwide for the new twin – before it has even flown in prototype form – suggest the company did its homework. As at November 2005 (even before the aircraft’s official announcement), Tecnam New Zealand had options for 16 of the new twins – ten in Australia, four in New Zealand, and two in the Pacific – from buyers quick to recognise the type’s potential and keen to be in early to beat what they can already see will be high-demand for the new machine.