The name Skycar may evoke images of futuristic “flying cars,” but Oma Sud’s version, built in Italy, is actually a fairly conventional utility aircraft that just won its FAA certification. “This important milestone for Oma Sud opens the market in the United States,” company President Valter Proietti wrote in an announcement on Monday. The piston twin pusher, which was certified by EASA last August, is designed with two seats up front and three in the back. The wide cabin can be adapted to a variety of roles — air taxi, light cargo, or medevac. A rear access hatch located between the twin tails provides easy access. Proietti gave AVweb a tour of the airplane at EAA Airventure last year; click here to check it out.
The company is now completing the development of a special Surveyor version of the Skycar for uses such as maritime patrol, border control, or environmental monitoring, Proietti said this week. One has been sold to Italy’s State Police, fitted with optical instruments for day and night surveillance operations. It will start flight testing at the end of the month, Proietti said. The Skycar can fly from paved runways or dirt strips, the company says. Two Lycoming IO-360 engines power the aircraft up to 160 knots for about 700 nm. The company is already operating in Florida, with a commercial office at Miami International Airport and a logistics base at Opa Locka Airport.
