Italian aircraft manufacturer Alpi Aviation has completed the first flight of the Pioneer 800 Twin, the company's first twin-engine airplane.

The four-seat aircraft is powered by two Rotax 916 iS engines and carries a claimed cruise speed of 200 knots, along with Dynon HDX avionics and a ballistic parachute.

The design builds on the company's long-running Pioneer 400, a four-place retractable piston single in the experimental category.

The first flight follows years of development on the new aircraft.

Source: AVweb / Aviation Consumer