What about one of these Bruce?
www.loprestifury.com/I posted this a few days ago in the Aussie section:
Kiwi kitset catches Aussies' eyes
By ROELAND van den BERGH in Melbourne - The Dominion Post Last updated 05:00 12/03/2009.
A New Zealand kitset aircraft is being considered as a military trainer.
The high-performance Furio sports aircraft from Auckland firm Falcomposite, handles like a fighter and has the comfort of a tourer.
Company founder Giovanni Nustrini said "an extremely large company that contracts to the Royal Australian Air Force" was interested in developing the plane as an air force trainer in partnership with Falcomposite.
Two further meetings were set down at the show this week with the company, which he would not name.
The aircraft could be marketed to air forces worldwide as a much cheaper option to replace the ageing Marchetti SF260, Mr Nustrini said. The SF260 is a similar shape, but is made of heavier metal. The Furio is made entirely from carbon fibre composite, and has the same flying capabilities.
The Furio is fast and has a larger cabin than most trainers, retractable undercarriage and variable-pitch propeller. "It will take the pilot from an ab initio stage the first stage of flight training to a stage which is very close to flying a small jet because the handling is very similar, and it is economical."
The SF260 costs about $2 million, compared with about $240,000 for a completed civilian version of the Furio.
Mr Nustrini said that while the Furio was being sold as a kit aircraft which has to be assembled by the buyer, it had been designed to eventually allow for production line manufacturing.
"We are very happy. We are on a roll."
The Furio is the first aircraft of its type to be built entirely from composite carbon fibre, allowing structural components to be reduced to less than 30.
This makes it easier and much faster to build than other kit planes, with no specialist skills required.
The owner still has to buy the engine, propeller and instrument panel, which add about $110,000 to the kit cost of $135,000.
The Avalon Air Show is the first public outing of the Furio in Australia, where two aircraft have already been sold. Seven of the aerobatic-capable aircraft have been sold since the launch in New Zealand in February last year. Four are in New Zealand.
Mr Nustrini said sales would have been double had it not been for the economic crisis. Expectations had been for at least 24 sales in the first year. The niche target market still had money, but people were taking a wait-and-see approach before spending.
The official launch of the aircraft will be in July at the world's biggest general aviation show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Roeland van den Bergh travelled to the Avalon Air Show as the recipient of a Royal New Zealand Aeronautical Society Duncan Campbell award
