Tecnam Astore Light Sport Aircraft

Astore light sport aircraft (LSA) was introduced in March 2013. Credit: Tecnam.

The aircraft features a slide-type glass canopy. Credit: Tecnam.

The Astore light sport aircraft features an all-metal airframe structure. Credit: Tecnam.

Deliveries of the Astore aircraft began in December 2014. Credit: Tecnam.

The Astore two-seat light sport aircraft (LSA), developed by Tecnam, was launched at AERO Friedrichshafen in Germany in March 2013. The aircraft can be used for general aviation. The first production aircraft was christened as P48Astore.

The aircraft has obtained FAR part 23 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It has also received type certifications from New Zealand and Australasia.

Tecnam received orders for Astore from customers located in New Zealand, Korea, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Kuwait and the US. Global deliveries of the aircraft commenced in December 2014.

Astore LSA design features

Astore LSA is constructed with an all-metal airframe structure equipped with epoxy corrosion-proofing and a reinforced matrix of carbon or glass fibre for the upper radome and fairings.

The aircraft comes with tricycle landing gear equipped with two 7075T6 light alloy springs. The nose gear of the aircraft comes with oleo-pneumatic shock absorber connected to the firewall. The aircraft features a horizontal tail, including stabiliser and elevator with tip balancing horns.

The exterior dimensions of the aircraft include an overall length of 7m, height of 2.3m and wingspan of 8.65m. The wing area of the aircraft is 12.2m².

Flight deck and avionics of Astore aircraft

Astore aircraft can be fitted with three optional flight decks, which include Astore six pack, Dynon SV1000 plus GPS 796 and G3X two-screen display.

The standard flight instrument avionics include a magnetic compass, airspeed and sideslip indicators, altimeter and static system.

The aircraft features a glass canopy and comes with flight control systems including hydraulic toe brakes, single throttle lever, electrical flaps, dual flight controls, stabilator trim and choke.

The avionics further include panel swathes, fuel press, hour recorder and aviator trim with indicator. Pilots can use Wi-Fi connection to display altitude, indicated airspeed and GPS on the iPad mini.

Astore LSA cabin details

The aircraft cabin has a width of 1.15m and height of 0.98m. It includes a baggage compartment, which has a width, length and height of 0.90m, 0.73m and 0.5m, respectively, a total volume of 11.6ft³ and maximum load carrying capacity up to 35kg.

The seats are made of eco leather featuring three seat belt points and adjustable fore and aft. It includes an adjustable ventilator, heating system and windshield defroster. The cabin comes with an Apple iPad mini and USB charger.

Engine and performance details of the Astore LSA

The Astore aircraft comes with optional engine versions including 912ULS2, N 912is and 914UL2 manufactured by Rotax. The standard aircraft is powered by a Rotax 912ULS2 engine, which can generate up to 115hp. The engine is driven by two-bladed, ground adjustable, fixed-pitch wooden composite propellers manufactured by Sensenich Propeller. The aircraft has a total usable fuel capacity of 110l (29gal).

The aircraft has a cruise speed of 219km/h (118k) and can reach a maximum speed of 222km/h (120k). It has a maximum range of 750nm at a climb rate of 5.6m/sec (1,100ft/min). The take-off and landing distances of the aircraft are 218m and 154m respectively, and the service ceiling is 4,572m (15,000ft).

The aircraft has an empty weight of 367kg, maximum take-off weight of 600kg and useful load capacity of 233kg.