Tecnam P2010 Gets a Diesel Update

Tecnam announced a new version of its P2010 4-seat, single-engine airplane, with a new Continental CD-170 diesel engine, ready for certification by EASA. The 170 hp engine builds on the success Continental has had with the previous -135 and -155 hp models of its liquid-cooled, turbocharged, fadec-operated diesel engine series. The type certificate is expected by July 2020.

The P2010 came previously with the Lycoming IO-360 engine, at 180 hp, and its IO-390 engine at 215 hp. According to Tecnam CEO Paolo Pascale, the diesel engine enables the new P2010 to outlast its predecessors in range because of the up-to-50-percent reduction in fuel burn—with a top range of 1,050 nm possible. In a news conference streamed on YouTube on May 27, Chris Kuehn, vice president of sales, support, and services for Continental, elaborated that the new engine-airframe combination will make up to 136 ktas at 75-percent best power operation, burning about 6.5 gph (in jet-A or other approved kerosene fuels) or back down to 4.5 gph at 55-percent power, enabling the jump in range from the 660 nm previously posted by prior versions.

The P2010 comes equipped with the Garmin G1000 NXi flight deck, in a modular format that allows customers to make adjustments and updates based on future developments. The €375,000 standard price extends to the initial deliveries that Pascale projects will come in September or October 2020, to launch customers in Africa and Asia. Kuehn reiterated that the new P2010 was based on feedback from operators around the world stymied by the lack of avgas or its cost. “There are a number of potential buyers,” he said.