Caravan Competitor Takes to the Sky

Italy’s Vulcanair last month completed the first series of flights of its single-turboprop, unpressurized VF600W turboprop single. The 10- to 16-passenger, 8,700-lb-mtow airplane is powered by a 777-shp Walter (Czech) turboprop engine. The airplane, which Vulcanair hopes to price starting at $1 million (IFR), would compete most directly with the $1.5 million Cessna Caravan. JAA/FAA certification is targeted for the end of this year, with customer deliveries to start in early 2004.