AEROMEDIA
The Italian Aerospace Information Web
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Vulcan Air

Former spare parts producer Vulcan Air, based in Casoria near Naples, is setting up a programme to produce a complete range of Italian designed twin-engined light transport aircraft.

The first move, in 1997, was to take over the Siai Marchetti SF.600 Canguro programme from Finmeccanica. Later Vulcan Air, that is a private company, acquired from the same holding Samanta, a Naples based air-work operator with SF.600 and P.68 experience.
Recently Vulcan Air took over Milan based Aercosmos which, in 1993 bought Partenavia Costruzioni Aeronautiche SpA from Alenia.
Now Vulcan Air is in the position to revive the production of some twin-engined aircraft ranging from the basic P.68C to the turbine-powered 8,000 lbs MTOW Canguro, possibly in a stretched version.
The Canguro was designed by ing. Stelio Frati in the '70s (first flight on December 30th 1978) for Siai Marchetti that, in 1981, developed the SF.600A version, with turboprop engine, retractable landing gear and cargo capability with lateral sliding door or hinged rear fuselage. Today just ten Canguro have been produced.
Partenavia was established in 1957 by prof. Luigi Pascale and it produced a quite large family of single-engined sport aircraft which eventually culminated with the successful twin-engined P.68 Victor and its derivatives.

Vulcan Air is now in the position to develop the large commercial opportunities still offered by aircraft ranging from P.68 to Observer 2, from the Viator to the Canguro, the latter in a stretched form.

In the pictures: I-KANG, third production Siai Marchetti Canguro and first one to be equipped with turbo-prop engines and retractable landing gear and the Partenavia P.68C VH-UUP operated by Kakadu Air at Jabiru, Northern Territories, Australia.

(Aeromedia, June 1998)