Story ID: 675_Piaggio Avanti EVO.doc
EVOlved Avanti Comes to Farnborough
By: David Donald
Caption: Piaggio’s new Avanti EVO is making its public debut at the Farnborough International Airshow 2014.
Word Count: 286
Among the debutantes at this year’s Farnborough Airshow is the Piaggio Aero Avanti EVO, the third generation of this eye-catching twin-turboprop business aircraft. The program was first revealed in May at the EBACE convention in Geneva, but the Avanti EVO’s appearance here is its first public outing at a major airshow.

The aircraft on display here (Outside Exhibit 2) is the experimental flight test vehicle, which began flight trials of the EVO’s modifications in spring 2013. These include a redesigned forward wing, redesigned engine nacelles and five-bladed scimitar propellers. Most noticeable, however, are the drag-reducing winglets that began flight trials last fall. These changes have generated significant performance benefits over the current production model, such as a 3-percent faster climb to the 41,000-foot ceiling and a 17-percent range increase to 1,470 nm on the standard fuel tankage. The EVO offers a 402-knot top speed and can operate from runways of around 3,000 feet in length.

The Avanti EVO can be flown by one or two pilots, who benefit from a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite with a tablet-based electronic flight bag. The EVO features a new landing gear with carbon brakes and digital steering.

Avanti EVO is also more friendly to the environment, offering a 3-percent cut in emissions, enabling it to operate at roughly half the CO2 emissions of comparable jets. Thanks to the new propellers external noise is reduced by 68 percent compared to the current Avanti II, while internal noise levels are cut by 20 percent. The EVO’s cabin has had a complete makeover with Iacobucci HF seats and a cabin interior designed by Poltrona Frau. Improved cabin air-conditioning and lightning further enhance the passenger experience.