Thrush 510G Dual Cockpit Variant Wins FAA Certification

(Albany, GA) –Thrush Aircraft announced this week that the Federal Aviation
Administration has issued Type Certification for the dual cockpit version of the
Thrush 510G, which is powered by the new GE H80 turboprop engine. The dual
cockpit aircraft’s certification comes hot on the heels of certification of the singlecockpit
510G, which was awarded in October of last year.
The specifications and flight characteristics of the dual cockpit 510G are virtually
identical to the single-cockpit version – but it has the added ability to carry up to
200 lbs of cargo, equipment, or even an additional pilot or observer in the rear
seat. Accordingly, the aft cockpit of the dual cockpit 510G can be equipped with
full flight controls and avionics, including the MVP-50 digital display unit.
“The dual cockpit 510G is a workhorse of an airplane” said Payne Hughes,
president of Thrush Aircraft, “and we’re seeing it used for everything from carrying
growers up for a bird’s eye view of their fields, to ferrying crew members to remote
locations, to flight training.” He continued, “And, with the new GE H80 engine up
front, I anticipate it will become one of our best selling airplanes.”
The new dual cockpit 510G is, indeed, proving to be extremely popular with
customers and, with certification in hand, initial deliveries are now underway.
Notable among these deliveries is a 20-aircraft order for the dual cockpit 510G
from China, where they will be put to work on behalf of Heilongjiang State Farms,
located in Jiamusi. Six aircraft will be delivered for the 2013 spray season there,
and the first three of those are already on their way across the Pacific at this time.
Brazil is also anticipated to be a strong market for the new dual cockpit 510G, and
certification work is now underway in that country, following certification last
month of the single cockpit 510G by the civil aviation authorities there. Thrush
expects to deliver a total of 18 dual cockpit 510G’s worldwide this year – which
represents roughly 30% of the company’s annual production.