P92 Echo Super

The Tecnam P92 Echo Super is the 100 hp version of the classic Echo. As a trade name it stands for the original Echo airframe fitted with the Rotax 912 S or ULS; the German DAeC data sheet covers this version as P 92 „Echo“ series S 100 (sheet 61138.1). Buyers should note that no source explicitly equates the trade name with that series – the link follows from the engine and the 9.3 m span. Only the data sheet in the aircraft's paperwork shows which series it really is.

Technically the recipe stays the same: strut-braced high wing in light alloy over steel tube, cruciform tail, fixed nosewheel gear, two side-by-side seats. The data sheet lists 9.3 m span, 13.2 m² wing area and 6.3 m length, with 472.5 kg maximum takeoff mass with a rescue system installed. The Rotax 912 S/ULS produces 73.5 kW (100 hp) at 5800 rpm, 69 kW continuous, through a 2.43:1 gearbox. Besides the standard fixed-pitch Tonini GT-2, the AVTEK Hydrovario and NEUFORM and HELIX three-blade propellers are approved – a variable-pitch prop noticeably changes climb and cruise behaviour.

The extra 20 hp over the 80 hp Echo show up mainly on takeoff and in the climb. The data sheet permits 248 km/h VNE and quotes 222 km/h at maximum power, 146 km/h manoeuvring speed and 64 km/h minimum speed, with flaps to 35°. For the 100 hp version the manufacturer states 205 km/h cruise at 75 % power and a maximum range of 750 km at 65 % power without reserve. Noise levels are low, ranging from 58.7 to 59.7 dB(A) depending on propeller and silencer combination (sheet 61138.1, measured to LS-UL 96 or LVL-2004).

Strengths: more power reserve on the same forgiving airframe, short takeoff runs, easy operation from grass strips, and a Rotax 912 ULS powerplant with parts and shops available worldwide. Weaknesses: empty weight is deliberately not fixed in the data sheet but taken from the weighing report – useful load can get tight on retrofitted aircraft. Even with 100 hp the Echo remains aerodynamically a 1990s strut-braced high wing: cruise speed and cabin comfort trail modern 600 kg ultralights. The data sheet gives a tank capacity of 2 × 35 l, or 2 × 50 l in the approved equipment variant; no climb rate is documented for this series.

The Echo Super is the right choice for pilots who want the Echo's ruggedness and low running costs but often fly two-up, with baggage or from short fields. Anyone chasing maximum cruise speed should compare the short-wing Super 2000 or the modern Echo MkII.