16 April 2022
Tecnam has announced a new training aircraft capable of delivering Private Pilot Licence (PPL), Instrument Rating (IR) and Upset Recovery Training (UPRT). It’s the Tecnam P-Mentor.
The aircraft will be launched at AERO Friedrichshafen later this month and received its EASA type certificate on 7 April 2022.
The Italian manufacturer says the two-seat single-engine P-Mentor is “a simple and sustainable solution to guide student pilots from their first flight up to Instrument Rating, covering IFR, PBN and RNAV”.
Features include a variable pitch propeller, autopilot, simulated retractable gear control (undercarriage is fixed), and a ballistic whole-aircraft recovery parachute. The engine is a Rotax 912iSc, coupled with an MT constant-speed propeller.
The P-Mentor has an all-new wing with a tapered planform and laminar flow airfoil, says Tecnam. The wing has a mixed structure, using light alloy for spars and wing box, CFRP for the one-piece leading edge.
The wing design allowed the P-Mentor to pass the latest CS-23 Amendment requirements for low speed and stall characteristics without a ballistic recovery system being essential part of the aircraft configuration. However, BRS is approved and available as an option for customers who require additional safety add-ons. An integral fuel tank is located behind the main spar and offering 130 litres fuel capacity and more than 9 hours endurance.
Cabin of the new Tecnam P-Mentor. Photos: Tecnam
In the cockpit, the P-Mentor has Garmin G3X avionics with a Garmin GI275 as a back-up instrument and multiple configurations to allow PBN/RNAV as well as GFC 500 autopilot training.
“We are delighted to present the P-Mentor today,” said Tecnam managing director, Giovanni Pascale.
“I am sure this new design will revitalise the trainer market, helping many flight schools to remain competitive and profitable and making new student pilots happier and more proficient. Real sustainability, fuel economy and profitability start here.”
Tecnam’s new P-Mentor already has its EASA type certificate and will have its public debut at AERO Friedrichshafen
Tecnam CEO, Paole Pascale, added, “When I see a new type certificate with this model’s name, I think of my father and my uncle, Prof. Luigi Pascale, the men who started this adventure.”
