Has anyone already placed an order for a Panthera?

[Jean]

@Dave
I get your point. In this regard, Diamond's choice of making their own engine might be the smartest bet for that specific market.
@ Antoine
Hopefully, some enthouthiastic designers like Pipistrel dońt wait to have the ideal powerplant to innovate.
@Jeff
So far, My 2004 DA40 perfectly meets my mission . I'm very happy with this plane and don't plan to place an ordrer on a Panthera. Unless ....

[Gasser]

Hum, to be honest I have no idea if you can fly IFR in the US with an experimental aircraft.

You absolutely can fly IFR in an Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft in the US, and even carry passengers so long as you're not charging money for the flight. I considered building a Lancair Evolution before buying a new DA42, since the entire carbon-fiber shell goes together in 2 weeks at the Lancair factory, and there are multiple builder-assist companies to help the owner complete and finish the aircraft while still meeting the FAA's "51 percent rule."

It will likely be years (if ever) before similar help is available to build a Panthera.

That's what I thought but wasent completely sure.
I absolutely love the Evolution. I have a buddy looking really hard at building one soon. I wouldn't build a Panthera unless there was a company like the ones that put together those Evolution available.
I'd want to get my kids out of school first anyway.

[Antoine]

You absolutely can fly IFR in an Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft in the US, and even carry passengers so long as you're not charging money for the flight. I considered building a Lancair Evolution before buying a new DA42, since the entire carbon-fiber shell goes together in 2 weeks at the Lancair factory, and there are multiple builder-assist companies to help the owner complete and finish the aircraft while still meeting the FAA's "51 percent rule."

It will likely be years (if ever) before similar help is available to build a Panthera.

Yep, and I don't think the folks at Pipistrel have a plan for the builder assist solution at this time.
When we talked, I was under the impression that they were more or less thinking of building the aircraft themselves in the customer's presence... one reason being the extremely small price delta between the two.
But the fact is, EASA unlike the FAA, will not let experimentals fly IFR...

[Jean]

http://www.pilotweb.aero/features/in_th ... _1_3569458
There is a Pipistrel Panthera flight test report in May Pilot Magazine. Pretty much the same content as in the french magazine. Some nice pics.

[Tommy]

http://www.pilotweb.aero/features/in_th ... _1_3569458
There is a Pipistrel Panthera flight test report in May Pilot Magazine. Pretty much the same content as in the french magazine. Some nice pics.

Can't find the report.

[Antoine]

Tommy it seems there was a single press "event" and several media wrote in different languages the same story with the same pics. I got a german version in Flieger Revue (Panthera made cover page). The pics are beautiful but there is no more data than Jean and I have reported in this thread.
BTW, Panthera is out of my radar screen now that I know that they have no real plans to deliver de-icing in the foreseeable future.

[Jean]

http://www.pilotweb.aero/features/in_th ... _1_3569458
There is a Pipistrel Panthera flight test report in May Pilot Magazine. Pretty much the same content as in the french magazine. Some nice pics.

Can't find the report.

A subscription is required to read the report....
Same comment as Antoine...

[cbrinton]

AVWeb posted a video of a test flight in a Pantera. They talk a fair amount about the decision to switch engines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... Aqjcw4TGcQ

[Gasser]

AVWeb posted a video of a test flight in a Pantera. They talk a fair amount about the decision to switch engines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... Aqjcw4TGcQ

Curious to see how the new engine really performes. The one in the video doing 170-175 KTAS on 10 gph is awesome. I'm burning 12.5-14.5 in my Cirrus depending on alt. rotation in the 60s. Stall speed very slow despite short wings exciting stuff.

[Antoine]

So here's one new plane design that achieves a better stall speed than expected. So they decide it is too good and the plane could use need more weight... sigh...