An Italian Light Twin Returns To Claim Its Star

Like a rock star of a certain age going back on the arena circuit, rumors of the return of the light twin formerly known as Partenavia—now the Vulcanair—have echoed around the domestic GA world for the better part of a decade. The Italian aircraft was a minor hit in the States back in the early '90s, with its clear-nosed P68 Observer model favored by wildlife, law enforcement and other agencies for its utility and economy of operation. Then, it disappeared. Fans of the era hailed it as a multi-talented performer capable of taking on roles as a bush plane, cargo carrier, trainer, even executive transport. But that was more than 20 years ago. If a comeback materialized, would the Vulcanair still have what it takes to make it in the U.S. market? 

A Star Returns

Word came just before this year's Sun 'n Fun Fly-In that the P68 would relaunch in America at the event, and Plane & Pilot was invited to meet the enduring star during its reintroduction. 

Resembling a svelte Aero Commander, N610VC, a new P68Vr retractable, was on the ramp at LAL's Landmark Aviation with Chris Benaiges of Miami-based Americana Aviation, Vulcanair's U.S. distributor and also Flight Design's Southeast U.S. and Caribbean rep. Benaiges and two senior partners—Javier Cervera (www.cervera.com), a successful real estate entrepreneur and longtime private pilot, and Tony Alvarez, a retired Eastern Airlines pilot with longtime aviation business interests—formed Americana in 2012, and the Vulcanair had been in their sights since then. "We felt it could serve in niche markets nobody's touching," he said. 

The two 200 hp IO-360 Lycomings and the fat wings together produce a 1,500-pound useful load and a 160-knot cruise speed (retract) on 19 gallons per hour, combined with takeoff and landing rolls of about 800 and 700 feet, respectively. 

The thick airfoil on the P68 series, the high-wing configuration and sturdy gear make the Vulcanair comfortable on unimproved fields. Benaiges admitted this retract version might not be the first choice among V-models for bush ops, "but there's no reason not to do soft-field, gravel-field, off-road landings," he said, as he led the walkaround. "The airplane is really designed for that purpose. The beefy gear has no issue with that." 

Given these attributes, the question may be not if there's room in the light-twin market for this aircraft, but what went wrong the first time around?

The Italian Partenavia P68, first produced in 1972, was designed by Luigi Pascale, a professor at Naples University; it was a departure from his earlier fabric singles designed for the club market. Pascale's company went through several ownership changes before Vulcanair, based in Casoria, Italy, bought the Partenavia's type certificate, design rights and trademarks out of bankruptcy in the mid-1990s. Some 450 P68s are now operating worldwide, according to the manufacturer. But in the U.S., "Nobody's touched the market since Vulcanair got the assets 20 years ago," Benaiges said.

A well-stocked overhead panel and beefy power quadrant give the Vulcanair light twin the look of a larger multi.