American Utilicraft FF-1080

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The FF-1080 is an aircraft design by American Utilicraft of Lawrenceville, Georgia for a twin tubroprop aircraft fitted to carry LD3 aircraft cargo containers between large airports and smaller airports.

Twin Pratt & Whitney PW127F turbines turn propellers with six blades, to power the STOL aircraft for takeoff runs as short of less than 3,000 feet (1 km). The aircraft is designed to carry as much as 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) for a 500 nautical mile (900 km) range and can reach 1500 nautical miles (2,800 km) carrying 8000 lb (3,600 kg) beneath its 288 square feet (27 m²) of high-mounted wings.

American Utilicraft patented the design for the FF-1080 in 1991. Prototype engineering began in 2000 at Aircraft Design Services Incorporated in San Antonio, Texas. A company called Micro Craft was chosen to build the prototype, with plans to build subassemblies at a factory in Huntsville, Alabama and to assemble the prototype at Gwinnett Airport in Atlanta.

The company signed a memorandum of understanding in 2002 with Averitt Express, a freight service air carrier located in Cookeville, Tennessee for 25 aircraft. The company said it has a purchase order to sell 36 of its aircraft to WSI Hong Kong.

On Feb. 13, American Utilicraft entered a memorandum of understanding with San Juan Pueblo to build a production aircraft assembly plant in northern New Mexico. San Juan Pueblo is located near Espanola, and is the owner of San Juan Airport, Q14. State officials encouraged the companies and the pueblo to seek state loans to begin production of the aircraft.