Italian-based manufacturer Tecnam has unveiled a modernised version of its P2008JC single-engined trainer, featuring an upgraded engine and other refinements.

Tecnam says the aircraft – designated the P2008JC NG – will have a Rotax 912 iSc fuel-injected engine which, it claims, “significantly lowers” hourly operating costs and contributes to sustainability by offering fuel-burn of 14litres/h.

It has a Garmin G3X Touch glass cockpit and optional autopilot, plus a redesigned central console intended to improve instructor and student ergonomics, and new window and seatbelt designs.

The P2008JC NG retains the company’s hybrid airframe, with a carbonfibre fuselage integrated with metal wings and stabilator.

This combination, it says, addresses “specific pain points” with wings that are resistant to damage.

The aircraft will be certified under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s CS-23 amendment 6 standards.

Tecnam says this will place the P2008JC NG in the “highest safety tier” for general aviation models.

“By certifying to [this standard] we have enhanced the aircraft’s safety characteristics specifically at very low speeds – the typical mission profile for ab-initio training,” says Tecnam managing director Giovanni Pascale Langer.

“We needed an aircraft that works hard, consumes little, and inspires confidence. This is the only trainer on the market that combines superior safety of CS-23, state-of-the-art avionics, and the unbeatable efficiency of modern injection technology.”