European flight-training provider Bartolini Air has taken delivery of the first new CAP10C NG as launch customer of the re-introduced aerobatic airplane, which it uses for upset-recovery training.
Bartolini Air said it received the first New Generation (NG)-series airplane at its base in Łódź, Poland, in late June. French manufacturer Robin Aircraft restarted production of the CAP10C, which dates to 1970, in 2018-19.
The CAP10C NG is powered by a Lycoming IO360 four-cylinder, fuel-injected engine and features a Garmin GTN650/G5 avionics suite and two side-by-side pilot seats. The CAP10C was introduced with a carbon fiber-reinforced wing spar; the NG series also has carbon fiber cowlings and wheel fairings.
Bartolini Air is using the aerobatic airplane to provide Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT), which is required for airline pilots by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as well as the FAA. UPRT aims to prevent Loss of Control In-Flight accidents or incidents that can result when an aircraft deviates from its intended flight path and the pilot loses control.
The CAP10C NG can be subjected to unusual attitudes, stalls, high G-loads and other upsets that could be life-threatening for an airliner.
“The new regulations have presented a few challenges for training organizations, one of which is selecting an appropriate aircraft for UPRT,” said Bartolini Air Group CEO Bartłomiej Walas. “Quite quickly it turned out that the CAP 10C NG was perfect for the job. When we learned that the aircraft would be modernized and its production would resume, we had no doubts that this was the only right choice.”
The French Navy has ordered two CAP10C NGs; the Australian and Mexican militaries have also placed orders. The list price of the airplane is €303,100 ($417,200), according to Mistral Aviation, Robin Aircraft’s UK sales agent.
Related Content
