Symphony Aircraft Plans For Production In 2009
The principals behind the revival of Symphony Aircraft claim that production of the two-seat high wing will resume in June of 2009. Trois Rivieres, Quebec, will remain its home for manufacturing. An initial production of 15 planes is the target for the end of next year, with annual volumes increasing to between 50 and 80 aircraft by 2012. In addition to a VFR version that will be aimed at schools, a basic IFR option will also be available as will an all-glass edition equipped with a 200-hp Lycoming IO-390 powerplant. “We’ve already put 3,000 hours into cost reduction redesigns,” said Mirko Zgela, President of Aviatech Technical Services Inc. which is heading up the engineering of the aircraft.
The principals behind the revival of Symphony Aircraft claim that production of the two-seat high wing will resume in June of 2009. Trois Rivieres, Quebec, will remain its home for manufacturing. An initial production of 15 planes is the target for the end of next year, with annual volumes increasing to between 50 and 80 aircraft by 2012. In addition to a VFR version that will be aimed at schools, a basic IFR option will also be available as will an all-glass edition equipped with a 200-hp Lycoming IO-390 powerplant. "We've already put 3,000 hours into cost reduction redesigns," said Mirko Zgela, President of Aviatech Technical Services Inc. which is heading up the engineering of the aircraft.
As an example of the production filtering that has taken place, Zgela points out that "a fuselage shell that used to take four days will now take three hours to produce." Fuel capacity for the aircraft (which will also get a new name) will be increased to 45 gallons, while a composite landing gear and wing are in the design pipeline and should appear about two years down the road from production's resumption. Speed kits, airbags, and BRS chutes will also feature as optional add-ons. Pricing for the three iterations of the aircraft will range from the basic's $140,000 up to $220,000 for the advanced option-rich model which will have an anticipated cruise speed of 148 kts.
