The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has selected Piaggio Aero P.180 Avanti II business aircraft for its aerial reconnaissance requirement.
The contract for one Avanti was signed at Piaggio Aero’s headquarters in Italy by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the RTAF, Air Chief Marshal Sutthiphan Kritsanakhup and the CEO of Piaggio Aero, Carlo Logli on Sept 29.
The multi mission capable P.180 Avanti II will be customized for territorial multifunctional surveillance, featuring customized photography systems using a Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) television camera system.
The FLIR / TV Camera installed on fuselage belly of the airplane, will be used for monitoring illegal immigration and smuggling.
The Avanti has an unusual design featuring three-lifting-surface configuration, a small forward wing, a conventional tail plane and the main wing. The cabin cross-section varies continuously along the length of the aircraft taking approximate shape of a NACA airfoil section.
The single, continuous aerodynamic curve from nose to tail, create a perfect profile that maintains laminar flow, thus minimizing drag and maximizing performance.
It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66B turboprop engines that develops a derated 850 SHP, even though it has a maximum thermal power of over 1630 HP.
The single pilot certified Avanti II has a range of 1,450 Nm, four hour endurance, a maximum speed of 402 kts and is able to reach an altitude of 41,000 ft ; these performances can be compared to those of a turbojet aircraft, maintaining 40% lower fuel consumption than any same size jet.
With a maximum weight of 12,100 lbs/5,489 kg, Avanti II can carry a maximum payload of1,800 lbs/816 kg.
