Tecnam P2012
The P2012 is one of the few all new in its class, a piston twin with rooms for about ten passengers. Tecnam designed it following the need of Cape Air to replace its vast fleet of Cessna 402s. The P2012 is a high wing twin aircraft with a fixed, all single wheel landing gear. The main gear is attached to small stubs. Typical are the nearly elliptical cabin windows, actually having a race track shape, and the slightly bent up wingtips. In the wing leading edges are horizontally opposed piston engines.
The nose of the Tecnam P2012 Traveller is quite streamlined. Note the typical cabin windows, with the shape of a race track (nearly oval).
Different versions
The different versions of the P2012 can be identified by looking at
- the number of propeller blades
- the shape of the nacelles
- the wingspan
P2012 Traveller
The original P2012, called Traveller, has propellers with four blades as key recognition point. The nacelles have a rectangular cooler intake at the bottom.
The slender nacelles of the original P2012 house piston engines with horizontally opposed cylinders. Below the spinner of the four blade prop is a rectangular cooler intake.
P2012 STOL
Introduced as a true competitor of the BN-2 Islander this version has a better take-off and landing performance than the standard Traveller. On the outside in can best be recognised by the engines: these turbocharged piston engines have the prop axis higher in the nacelle and no cooler inlet at the bottom. Also, the propeller has only three blades. Finally, the wingspan has been increased by 2.6 metres.
The P2012 STOL has turbocharged engines with a different shape nacelles. Also the props have three blades. (photo: Tecnam)
Confusion possible with
Vulcanair AP68TP Viator/A-Viator
This aircraft has an all single wheel gear attached to stubs under the fuselage, but it is retractable. Also the cabin windows are rectangular.
SIAI-Marchetti SF600 Canguro
Another Italian design in the same category, and with a fixed landing gear. While the nose is streamlined like on the P2012, the aircraft has a more 'boxy' appearance. Also it has different windows and turboprop engines. (photo WikiMedia/Fsel55)
Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander
This aircraft can be seen as an earlier generation of the P2012. The main differences are that the P2012 has the fixed, single wheel main gear attached to the fuselage and the smaller cabin windows with 'race track' shape.
Twin Commander family
This aircraft family is of similar size as the P2012 and also has high wings and a conventional tail. The single wheel main gear of the Twin Commander is retractable though, in the nacelles which are thus longer. Additionally, the horizontal stabilisers have dihedral. Finally, the cabin windows are rectangular.
Tecnam P2006T
The P2006 was a twin piston aircraft designed earlier by Tecnam. Its lines are visible in the P2012, but the P2006 has winglets, a rectractable gear and different windows.