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GA10 Airvan
	GA10 prototype
Role	Utility/transport
National origin	Australia
Manufacturer	GippsAero
First flight	1 May 2012
Produced	2012–2020
Developed from	Gippsland GA8

The GippsAero GA10 Airvan, marketed as the Airvan 10, is a 10-seat, turbo prop, single-engined utility aircraft currently being developed by GippsAero (formerly Gippsland Aeronautics) of Victoria, Australia.^[1]

Development

Its 20-minute first flight was completed in May 2012.^[2] In mid-2015, the aircraft was planned to be certified in 2015,^[3] but later in the year no schedule was claimed.^[4] It was certificated by the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority on 19 May 2017,^[5] as well as the American Federal Aviation Administration.^[6]

In January 2018, two GA10s were flying: the prototype and the first production aircraft, which GippsAero hopes to deliver in the second half of 2018.^[7]

On 4 June 2018, during flight tests supported by the National Test Pilot School from the Mojave Air & Space Port in southern California, a GA10 crashed in the Mojave Desert.^[8] The two pilots parachuted safely from about 5,000 ft (1,500 m) above ground.^[9]

On 24 August 2018, the first customer for GA10 Airvan was announced to be Major Blue Air, Botswana.^[10] Its unit cost in 2018 was $1.7 Million^[11]

Design

After successful development of the eight-seat GA8 Airvan piston-engined aircraft, the design has been stretched and re-engined with a turboprop engine to increase seating and payload capacity, resulting in the GA10.^[12] With many piston-engined GA8 aircraft being operated in remote areas, the JetA/JetA1-powered GA10 is intended to appeal to general aviation customers.

The GA10 retains the aerodynamic design of the GA8 and the intent is to retain as many current production parts as possible.^[13] A design requirement is for a five-hour endurance with eight occupants (including pilot), and a maximum fuel load of 550 litres.^[13] Similarly to the GA8, a STOL kit will be developed for the GA10.

The GA10 should be a capable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform, after the piston GA8, carrying an electro-optical/infrared sensor (EO/IR) ball in a modified underside baggage bay for an unobstructed 360° view.^[7]

Specifications

Data from Airvan 10 Brochure^[14]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 9 passengers or 635 kg freight (with full fuel), 164 ft³ / 4.43 m³
Length: 33 ft 6 in (10.21 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 7 in (12.37 m)
Height: 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
Empty weight: 2,475 lb (1,123 kg) ^[11]
Max takeoff weight: 4,750 lb (2,155 kg)
Fuel capacity: 153 U.S. gal (580l)
Cabin: 45 in / 1.1 m high, 50 in / 1.3 m wide, 16 ft 1 in / 4.9 m long
Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce 250-B17F/2 turboprop, 451 hp (336 kW) 2,030 rpm
Propellers: 3-bladed Hartzell HC-D3F-7H

Performance

Maximum speed: 157 kn (181 mph, 291 km/h)
Cruise speed: 145 kn (167 mph, 269 km/h)
Range: 550 nmi (630 mi, 1,020 km) 1h IFR reserve, 700 nmi without
Endurance: 5 hours
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
Takeoff to 50 ft: 1,600 ft / 488 m
Fuel burn: 24 gph / 92 L/h

References

^ "GA10 to fly later this year". Australian Aviation. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
^ "GippsAero GA10 completes first flight". Australian Aviation. 22 May 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
^ "Mahindra Aerospace Partners with Professional Aviation Associates" (PDF) (Press release). Mahindra Aerospace. 21 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2016.
^ "Mahindra Displays First Airvan in China" (PDF) (Press release). Mahindra Aerospace. 28 October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2016.
^ "Type Certificate No. VA522". Civil Aviation Safety Authority. 19 May 2017.
^ "Type Certificate No. A00071CE" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
^ ^a ^b Greg Waldron (26 January 2018). "GippsAero eyes 2018 delivery of first GA10". Flightglobal.
^ Garrett Reim (4 June 2018). "GippsAero GA10 Airvan crashes near Mojave". Flightglobal.
^ Grady, Mary (5 June 2018). "GippsAero GA10 Destroyed in Test Flight". AVweb. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
^ "Mahindra Aero flying high! Adds Botswana's Major Blue Air as first customer for 10-seater turboprop aircrafts [sic]". The Financial Express. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Purchase Planning Handbook" (PDF). Business & Commercial Aviation. Aviation Week Network. May 2018.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "GippsAero's GA10 project on track". Australian Flying. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
^ ^a ^b "GippsAero Newsletter, November 2010" (PDF). GippsAero. November 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
^ "Airvan 10 Brochure" (PDF). Mahindra Aerospace. May 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2016.