AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011 - 78

the plus side, when was the last time you inspected your nosewheel strut all the way to the attach points and beyond? Formerly known as Partenavia, that company was taken over by the Italian government but later was purchased by a private family and then renamed Vulcanair. If you have already skipped to the specification table (below) and noticed the $823,700 IFR-equipped price, an explanation is in order. Obviously this is not an impulse buy you make on your way to the grocery store to pick up a loaf of bread. That price is only for the Observer 2 model; most are purchased by state agencies to be a workhorse performing fish and wildlife surveillance or

mapping. It is a surveillance platform with a camera port and can also be equipped with forward-looking infrared capability. The model marketed to you, Mr. Regular Joe Consumer, is the lighter, retractable Vulcanair VR with an IFR-equipped price of $749,000 that includes a Sagem Avionics Integrated Cockpit Display System (ICDS) glass cockpit and a ram-horn control yoke, like some of the big-iron jets. (It does not have the clear acrylic nose.) It comes with dual Garmin 430 GPS/nav/ com radios, a Garmin 327 transponder, a six-place intercom, a Garmin GMA 340 audio panel, and an S-Tec FiftyFive X autopilot. It has back-up micro steam-gauge instruments.

The workhorse of the line is the P68C without the clear acrylic nose for an IFR-equipped price of $764,500 and includes turbocharged engines as an option. There’s even the Vulcanair A-VIATOR twin-engine turboprop with an IFR glass cockpit for $2.2 million. As with any airplane you may consider purchasing, or dream about, the burning question is, “Can I land it?” Can you land a Cessna 152? Same thing. The Vulcanair is no more difficult to land than a primary trainer. Pilots new to the airplane think it floats during landing, but more experienced pilots say it has outstanding short-field performance. The narrow gear initially raised questions as to

“Can I land it?” Can you land a Cessna 152? Same thing.
SPECSHEET
Vulcanair P68 Observer 2
Base price: $823,700

Specifications
Powerplant ....200-hp Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 Recommended TBO .................. 2,000 hr Propellers ......... Hartzell 2-blade FC 7666A Length...................................... 30 ft 11 in Height ........................................ 11 ft 2 in Wingspan ................................... 39 ft 5 in Wing area ................................... 200 sq ft Wing loading ............................ 23 lb/sq ft Power loading ........................... 11.5 lb/hp Seats ......................................................6 Cabin length ..................................4 ft 9 in Cabin width ...................................3 ft 8 in Cabin height ..................................3 ft 8 in Empty weight ...............................3,130 lb Empty weight, as tested ...............3,164 lb Maximum ramp weight..................4,630 lb Zero fuel weight............................ 4,167 lb Useful load ...................................1,499 lb Useful load, as tested ...................1,466 lb Payload w/full fuel (opt tanks) .........437 lb Payload w/full fuel (opt tanks), as tested ... .....................................................404 lb Max takeoff weight.......................4,594 lb Max landing weight ......................4,365 lb Fuel capacity, std .... 142 gal (137 gal usable) 852 lb (822 lb usable) Fuel capacity, w/opt tanks...184 gal (177 gal usable) 1,104 lb (1,062 lb usable) Baggage capacity ..............400 lb, 20 cu ft

Limiting and Recommended Airspeeds
VMC (min control w/critical engine inoperative) .................................................... 62 KIAS VX (best angle of climb) ................ 80 KIAS V Y (best rate of climb)................... 92 KIAS VXSE (best single-engine angle of climb) ...... .................................................... 80 KIAS V YSE (best single-engine rate of climb) ........ .................................................... 92 KIAS VA (design maneuvering) ............. 137 KIAS VFE (max flap extended) .............. 111 KIAS VNO (max structural cruising) ....... 160 KIAS VNE (never exceed) ...................... 201 KIAS VR (rotation) ................................. 71 KIAS VS1 (stall, clean)............................ 69 KIAS VSO (stall, in landing configuration).... 57 KIAS For more information, contact Orlando Sanford Aircraft Sales, 800-276-6661 or 407-322-4772; e-mail larry@airplane4sale. com; (www.airplane4sale.com). All specifications are based on manufacturer’s calculations. All performance figures are based on standard day, standard atmosphere, sea level, gross weight conditions unless otherwise noted.

Performance
Takeoff distance, ground roll ............ 787 ft Takeoff distance over 50-ft obstacle1,312 ft Accelerate-stop distance @ sea level2,155 ft Accelerate-stop distance @ 5,000 ft2,685 ft Max demonstrated crosswind component...... ............................................................20 kt Rate of climb, sea level ..............1,240 fpm Single-engine ROC, sea level.........210 fpm Cruise speed/endurance w/45-min rsv, @ 77% power, best economy, 6,000 ft .... ....................................... 165 KTAS/7.6 hr (128 pph/21.3 gph) @ 65% power, best economy, 6,000 ft .... .......................................154 KTAS/8.9 hr (110 pph/18.3 gph) Max range @ 65% power, 7,000 ft .............. .................................................. 1,525 nm Service ceiling ............................ 19,750 ft Single-engine service ceiling......... 5,750 ft Landing distance over 50-ft obstacle..1,969 ft Landing distance, ground roll ........... 656 ft

AOPA PILOT •

78 • FEBRUARY

2011
http://www.airplane4sale.com
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011
