Mooney International has rolled-out the first M20TN Acclaim to be re-assembled at its China factory in Henan Province.
The Acclaim was built, tested, and shipped to China from Mooney's Kerrville, Texas, plant.
The company was granted a Validated Type Certificate (VTC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) on December 9, clearing the way for the aircraft to be delivered to a local customer by the end of December.
"CAAC’s approval of the M20TN Acclaim and M20R Ovation models is excellent news for Mooney International and prospective customers in China,” said Mooney CEO Jerry Chen. “The Acclaim and Ovation are perfect for the emerging Chinese personal aircraft market as they deliver turboprop speed with piston engine efficiency and cost.”
Mooney International is owned by Chinese real estate firm Meijing Group, and is targeting the local market for export sales from the Texas plant.
According to Vice President of Sales Peter Claeys, the company sees China as a growth market. “There is certainly a large potential market for high performance personal and training aircraft in the world’s most populous country," he said, "and our Chinese office, known as Mooney Beijing, can now offer world class flight operations for a wide range of Chinese customers including small to medium size companies.”
The Mooney Acclaim Type S and the Ovation3 both feature Continental engines, Garmin G1000 Avionics, and GFC700 Flight Control Systems.