Poll: Awesome Or Ugly? The Piaggio P.180 Avanti/Avanti II
Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 07:25AM 
The very unique design of the extremely fast 3-lifting-surface Piaggio P.180 Avanti
I was just finishing up high school back in 1979 when the initial design work was being done on the Piaggio P.180 Avanti, and thanks to Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine I was able to follow along with the development of the airplane. I admit that I loved the airplane way back then and I still do today. The 3-lifting-surface configuration makes this flying machine pretty easy to pick out of a line up! And the updated Avanti II, certified in 2005, injected new life into this design and truly made the airplane a success.
The exotic and very unusual (maybe too unusual?) Piaggio Avanti turboprop
There so much about this airplane that's different than your typical business class turboprop, and interestingly, the max cruise speed that tickles 400 knots means that there aren't any other turboprops that can compete with the Avanti. The P.180 offers jet speeds with a roomy and comfortable cabin with overall enhanced efficiency. And the Avanti fleet passed the 500,000 flight hours mark back in 2010... it's just a really unique and very good airplane.
But the big question of the day: is the Piaggio P.180 Avanti/Avanti II Awesome or Ugly?
Reader Comments (8)
It's got a very distinctive sound, too. Can always tell when one's going overhead!
I can hardly wait to see Honda's novel business jet in action. You should then have another poll asking the same questions about said jet, as you asked regarding the equally novel Piaggio Avanti.
Jim- Indeed, that sound definitely catches your attention (and the attention of the airport-noise-whiner-types : )
Alex- Good idea, I'll do a HondaJet poll before too long (in the next month)
Still think the Beech Starship was much better looking and had a sad demise.
Followed one into Bolton a few years back and got the grand tour from the pilot. She said she loves flying it, it's fast, comfortable with no bad tendencies. Gets alot of attention on the ramp. I think she does, too. : )
marvins e3d3fd1842 https://app.oldmonk.world/vernoticha
marvins e3d3fd1842 https://app.oldmonk.world/vernoticha
marvins e3d3fd1842 https://app.oldmonk.world/vernoticha