The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified the four-seat Tecnam P Twenty-Ten, the Italian manufacturer announced overnight.
With a type certificate in their pocket, Tecnam is now open to challenge the dominance of both Cessna and Piper in the trainer market in the USA.
"FAA Type Certification of the P Twenty-Ten is a key part of Tecnam’s focus on ensuring that the US based general aviation community have easy and enjoyable access to Tecnam’s wide range of innovative and affordable aircraft," the press release stated.
"Tecnam is one of only two OEMs that are both able and capable to produce GA aircraft incorporating both metal and composite components. The state of the art Tecnam P Twenty-Ten is now the most advanced and modern single engine trainer aircraft in the marketplace.
"Flight schools in particular welcome the opportunity to add this four-seater to their fleets. Affording them much lower operating costs and therefore enabling them to pass on significant savings to their students."
The P Twenty-Ten is a high-wing aircraft powered by a Lycoming IO-360 engine rated at 180 hp. It has a composite fuselage mated to a metal wing.
A full test flight on the P Twenty-Ten is featured in the January-February 2016 issue of Australian Flying.