Mystery Plane VII -- Extra Aircraft EA-500

[Kernel Crittenden]

This time I'm going to go in a new direction and try a General Aviation plane.

I've admired this Mystery Plane since I first saw one at an air show a few years ago. High parasol wing, big cabin, room for the whole family, excellent visibility, great turbo prop engine, fast, maneuverable, long range, fuel efficient, beautiful lines.... it's got it all. This the plane I'd buy if I won a big time lottery.

What is it?

 

[cmort666]

I haven't paid any attention to gen-av aircraft in literally DECADES, but it looks rather "Pilatus-like" to me...

 

[olcop]

Sort of Aero Commander like too.
olcop

 

[Douglas8860]

The aircraft is an Extra Flugzeugbau EA400.
Love your Mystery Planes!

 

[shaggist]

A very neat looking plane, but only seating 6 and costing about $1 million US dollars would put it out of my consideration. Seemingly, this is the reason for their slow sales.

 

[Jessie]

A very neat looking plane, but only seating 6 and costing about $1 million US dollars would put it out of my consideration. Seemingly, this is the reason for their slow sales.

Yep, You could find a used Lear jet for that kind of money, albeit,
a bit more expensive to operate.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

It looks like it can get in and out of short high altitude runways.

 

[A-37]

-500

That 5-bladed prop indicates it might be a -500 series.

Extra EA-500 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Range 2000+ miles!

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

The aircraft is an Extra Flugzeugbau EA400.
Love your Mystery Planes!

Wrong!

...........

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

Ding, ding, ding..... A-37 swoops in low, like a Cessna Dragonfly, and pastes the thread with the correct answer! Eight hours, zero minutes.

The plane is the Extra Business Aircraft EA-500. EBA is a division of the German company Extra Flugzeugbau (Aircraft Construction) that makes a number of popular acrobatic aircraft. Chief designer, and company founder, is Walter Extra.

The EA-500 first flew in 2002 and is based on the previous generation, and very similar, EA-400. There was a EA-500 at Oshkosh in 2010. The plane is constructed entirely out of composite materials.

The EA-500 is powered by a single Rolls-Royce (Allison) Model 250-B17F/2 turbo shaft. With over 16,000 engines in current service, it is likely the most popular and successful turbo shaft engine ever made. The same engine powers the Bell Jet Ranger (OH-58), the Hughes/MD 500 (OH-6), and numerous other aircraft. Easy to get parts and service.

With a near circular cross section it's a cool looking plane from any angle. The roomy cabin seats six and is fully pressurized.

Tough tricycle landing gear is rated for grass field operation.

Max cruise speed 226 kts, service ceiling 25,000 ft, useful payload 1,566 lbs.

Designed by a small German company famous for it's aerobatic aircraft, the EA-500 is light weight and very maneuverable. A pilot's aircraft.

Modern glass cockpit and avionics.

 

[Douglas8860]

Hey - No fair! You mean I don't even get half credit? LOL

 

[Buckey08]

Dang that's a cool looking plane! I'll take one, I better check with the Mrs's first, Darn it she said no.Still a very nice plane and as with most things being poor means not in my life time.

 

[Kinman]

Looks like a sweet little aircraft. We once flew from Spokane to Oakland via a plane switch in Boise. We got to Boise and what should be find waiting for us but some sweet little hummer that looked like a minature 727. We got on board and as I sat down I noticed it was like sitting into a Porsche 911, brown leather seats, very comfortable. I reached over and pulled out the plane info sheet and found we were flying in some model of aircraft built by Fokker...I was jacked, it must have been the closest I've ever experienced to flying in a fighter jet, hit the end of the runway and bam a good solid 45 degree ascent to whatever feet, a little bumpy in the air and a nice quick set down on the runway in Oakland.

 

[vigil617]

Hey - No fair! You mean I don't even get half credit? LOL

Hee hee, Douglas, I would've sworn your guess was a made-up name!

I give you half credit if the Kernel won't!

 

[vigil617]

Looks like a sweet little aircraft. We once flew from Spokane to Oakland via a plane switch in Boise. We got to Boise and what should be find waiting for us but some sweet little hummer that looked like a minature 727. We got on board and as I sat down I noticed it was like sitting into a Porsche 911, brown leather seats, very comfortable. I reached over and pulled out the plane info sheet and found we were flying in some model of aircraft built by Fokker...I was jacked, it must have been the closest I've ever experienced to flying in a fighter jet, hit the end of the runway and bam a good solid 45 degree ascent to whatever feet, a little bumpy in the air and a nice quick set down on the runway in Oakland.

Yes, the Germans do build amazing commercial aircraft.

Kinman, I wonder if what you flew was the Fokker F100 as shown in the photo attached. I used to fly out of Raleigh-Durham on the unfortunately short-lived Midway Airlines, which flew the F-100, and I loved the high-class passenger compartment. It was a pleasure to fly Midway, whose flight attendants would bring a hot hand towel to you without even being asked! This was back in the 90s, before air travel got so completely screwed up.

Midway was great; RIP Midway!

 

[Kinman]

That sure does look like it...it has been quite a few years, easily in the mid nineties. I was first off amazed at how modern and well appointed the airport was in Boise after coming from Spokane where we weren't too far removed from the days where the facility had knotty pine walls and ceiling lighting that looked like it came out of the Jetson's cartoon.
The little Fokker was without a doubt the most comfortable flight I have ever had and made me wonder what it must be like to be rich and famous and run around in a private Gulfstream like a Senator or a high placed Congressman.