Piaggio P.180 Avanti

The Piaggio P.180 Avanti is an executive and VIP light transport aircraft designed by Piaggio Aero and built in Italy. Two wing-mounted turboprop engines drive pusher propellers, and the pressurized cabin seats up to nine people. Its three-surface layout combines a small forward canard wing, a main wing set behind the cabin and a T-tail. Engineering studies began in 1979, the first prototype flew on 23 September 1986, and Italian and American certification followed in 1990. An improved Avanti II was certified in 2005 with Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-66B engines, and an Evo version came later. Piaggio Aerospace entered receivership in November 2018, and by December 2020 some 246 Avantis had been produced.