Pacific Aerospace
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Hamilton, New Zealand |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Website | www.aerospace.co.nz |
Pacific Aerospace Ltd (PAL) is an aircraft manufacturing company based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Along with its predecessors, it has produced around 600 utility, training and agricultural aircraft.[1]
History
Pacific Aerospace was formed from two companies, Air Parts (NZ) Ltd and Aero Engine Services Ltd. Air Parts imported Fletcher FU-24s in kit form during the mid-1950s and began manufacturing a significantly-modified variant, known as the PAC Fletcher, in 1965. Aero Engine Services Ltd diversified from maintenance work into taking over production of the Victa Airtourer, a light aircraft it developed into a military trainer, the PAC CT/4 in the early 1970s. The two firms joined in 1973 as New Zealand Aerospace Industries, which became Pacific Aerospace Corporation in 1982.[2]
Shortly afterward, Pacific Aerospace won contracts to provide components to Boeing and Airbus. Pacific Aerospace took over NZAI's work on a replacement for the Fletcher, which became the PAC Cresco and has in turn developed this into utility and skydiving variants. A new utility aircraft, the P-750 XSTOL, first flew in 2001. The company has also continued low-level CT4 production for over 30 years.[2]
In September 2005 an American firm's order for 12 PAC 750s was dishonoured, leading to controversy about government assistance to Pacific Aerospace.[3]
In 2006 a consortium of aviation professionals purchased the assets of the company and Pacific Aerospace Corporation became Pacific Aerospace Limited.[2]
In 2012 the Pacific Aerospace P-750 XSTOL aircraft was certified against ICAO Annex 6 for Single Engine IFR Passenger Transport Operations.[4]
List of Aircraft
- AESL Airtourer - (1961) Single-engined light utility aircraft.
- PAC CT/4 Airtrainer – (1972) Single-engine two-seat (side-by-side) low-wing with fixed landing gear. Piston-engined military basic trainer
- PAC Fletcher – (1954) Single-engine two-seat (side-by-side) low-wing with fixed landing gear. Piston-engined aerial-application aircraft
- PAC Cresco – (early 1980s) Single-engine low-wing with fixed landing gear. Turboprop-engined aerial application aircraft
- P-750 XSTOL – (2001) Single-engine low-wing passenger transport with fixed landing gear. Turboprop skydive/utility/aerial application aircraft. Formally known as the PAC 750-XL.
References
- ↑ [http://www.marketnewzealand.com/MNZ/Profiler/20/6830/Pacific-Aerospace-Limited.aspx Market New Zealand, "Pacific Aerospace Ltd"]
- 1 2 3 Pacific Aerospace Ltd, "Company History"
- ↑ Daniels, Chris (24 September 2005). "Plane maker hits turbulence". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ↑ http://www.aerospace.co.nz/aircraft/p-750-xstol/description
External links
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