FlightFX has made a surprise announcementon their Discord with external pictures of their upcoming Piaggio Avanti II for Microsoft Flight Simulator, one of the most unique private airplanes ever made.

The Piaggio Avanti II is an evolution of the Piaggio Avanti, originally introduced in late 1990 after four years of flight testing. The original concept goes even further back in time, to 1979, when engineering studies started and design choices were tested in wind tunnels in the subsequent years by Professor Jan Roskam from the University of Kansas and Professor Gerald Gregorek from Ohio State University. The final design choice was finally made in 1982, with the fuselage development starting a year later. The first prototype only took off in 1986, with the Italian certification to come in early 1990.

The Avanti II got certified in late 2005, featuring an uprated Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66B turboprop engines, flying faster and more economically, and a  new Rockwell Collins glass cockpit set. With 70 planes ordered in the first few months after the certification, the fastest civilian turboprop twin (according to Flying Magazine) was rather successful.

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Aside from the five external shots, there is no information regarding system depth, features, pricing, or a potential release date. Threshold will keep you informed on the matter!

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