Rwy20 wrote:
…but rather if the Panthera will have lightning protection…
If you fly anywhere in IMC where lighting protection may be required, lightnings will be the least of your problems.
Yes 
but without conductive mesh in the composites and bonding of everything together, you aren’t going to get great radio performance, due to static charges… This is a fairly common issue on unprotected “plastic” planes.
OTOH is there a statement from Pipistrel that the VFR version will be unprotected?
what_next wrote:
If you fly anywhere in IMC where lighting protection may be required, lightnings will be the least of your problems.
That may be, but nevertheless the certification rules say that you must have it.
I don’t know where the VFR-only bit comes from. The IFR Panthera is priced at 465k EUR currently (certified, cheaper as experimental kit with build assist). There no such thing as a “VFR Panthera” on the order list, protected or unprotected… maybe someone mixes up Certified and Experimental, the latter being probably VFR-restrained in Europe. You can book an option for 20k EUR. The order book is currently around 80.
Rwy20 wrote:
sufficiently reliable electrical system in order to be suitable for IFR
Peter wrote:
I don’t know what the requirements are. Are there specific ones? A Cessna 150 is IFR certified…
The “reliable electrical system” requirements are for FIKI, not IFR.
It seems like’s there’s been an injection of cash.
https://www.flyer.co.uk/pipistrel-signs-mega-deal-build-aircraft-china/
There will be many Pipistrel Alpha Electros flying in China soon. They will build Panthera there also. Pipistrel business seems to have taken off. They are signing deals everywhere.
[post moved to existing Panthera thread]
Despite all this Chinese activity, does China actually have a “GA environment”? I mean real changes, with uncontrolled airspace where people can just fly around.
It seems most of the activity is around CAT pilot training, where they are struggling to meet their needs.
I am surprised that they want this type of aircraft for that. Training airline pilots in pistons is no more than a “multi engine” box ticking exercise. The plane itself is completely different (from an Airbus/Boeing) in practically every respect except which way to pull on the yoke The whole business of training in MEPs is just a, ahem, business…. the graduates can’t actually fly anything of relevance until they finish their TR at least. The Panthera is also not ME.
Maybe the plan is to do the ME conversion at the very end?
