Evektor introduced at AirVenture the new high-wing twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6-powered 9-14 passenger workhorse, the EV-55 Outback, that it says can haul 4,021 pounds of cargo in and out of 2,300-foot unpaved strips and cruise at 220 knots. The aircraft first flew June 24. requires 2,000 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle when the runway is at 6,560 feet MSL and the temperature is “ISA+20 degrees Celsius.” It marks Evektor’s 20th year in airframe production and the company’s third certified airframe currently in production, joining ranks with a 315-hp (also available with 200 hp) four-place and a very popular LSA.
Evektor is the manufacturer of the SportStar LSA, which has seen more than 1,000 deliveries, according to the company, and was the first aircraft to earn an S-LSA certificate. The company also produces the four-seat Cobra aircraft with either a Lycoming IO-360 or IO-580-B1A engine. The company bills that plane as an “outstanding touring machine.” With the EV-55, Evektor’s objective is to compete in the $2 million piston-twin and single turboprop markets, adding the edge of formidable high, hot and humid performance afforded to it by twin PT-6 turbines. The company hopes to find eager markets in South America, Africa and Asia, where the company says operators can take advantage of the aircraft’s abilities to handle underdeveloped infrastructure. The EV-55 is still in testing and a second flight test article — a conforming aircraft — will be in production this autumn.
