Hervey Bay company AstroAero has unveiled its A200C SkyExpress, a clean-sheet, single-engine turboprop designed as a containerised freight feeder for regional routes.
The aircraft is intended to bridge the gap between large hub-based freighters and small, remote markets. AstroAero says the A200C will be among the first aircraft of its class to be certified under the modernised Part 23 standards of the US Federal Aviation Regulations, allowing a single-engine cargo aircraft of this scale with a maximum takeoff weight of 14,500lb. The company says it will be the largest aircraft ever designed and built in Australia.
A full-size engineering mockup, complete with avionics deck and working cargo loading system, has been built at AstroAero's Hervey Bay production headquarters.
"The A200C SkyExpress represents a generational leap in regional air freight capability. We are delivering a platform that puts true containerised logistics within reach of operators who have historically been left behind by the economics of traditional cargo aircraft," AstroAero said.
The aircraft is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67T turboprop driving a Hartzell five-blade composite propeller, and is designed for an operational efficiency of US$1.76 per tonne-nautical mile. It can carry two LD3 containers over 1,100 nautical miles without refuelling, cruising at 150 KTAS.
A key feature is a rear-loading cargo ramp with hydraulic, self-levelling support legs, removing the need for ground-based tail stands or specialised ground support equipment during turnaround.
"From a pilot and operator standpoint, traditional tail stands on small regional freighters are troublesome. They require pre-positioning of the equipment and ground crews to manually install them, adding critical minutes to the turnaround clock and opening up the risk of severe airframe damage if someone forgets to install them before loading or remove them before taxi. The self-levelling ramp legs on the A200C eliminate that entire logistical pain point. The airframe takes care of its own weight shifts seamlessly, whether you are on a pristine tarmac or an uneven gravel strip," said Daniel Rich, AstroAero's chief test pilot.
The aircraft is designed for single-pilot IFR operations and flight into known icing, using a Garmin TXi avionics suite chosen partly to ease the transition for pilots coming from flight schools amid ongoing industry workforce shortages.
"We are intentionally catering to the modern pilot pipeline. As a single-engine aircraft we expect the majority of A200C pilots to come either straight from flight school or from small charter operations. We have ensured these pilots are presented with a simple and familiar avionics layout that is also not a step backward," Rich said.
AstroAero has completed wind tunnel testing with TLG Aerospace at the University of Washington's Kirsten Wind Tunnel, and fabrication of the wing, fuselage sections and landing gear is under way at its Hervey Bay facility. The company's staff have backgrounds with Boeing, Pilatus, Leonardo, SAAB, the FAA, EASA and CASA.
AstroAero says the rugged airframe could later be adapted for firefighting or long-endurance surveillance roles, though its near-term focus remains the freighter variant.