KUNOVICE – March 30, 2010 – An introduction of a new generation turboprop aircraft, called the EV-55 Outback, has taken place in Evektor's premises today. This is an important milestone on the way to the first flight which is planned for the 3rd quarter of this year.

The EV-55 Outback is a high-wing, twin-engine, turboprop aircraft for transportation of 9 or 14 passengers or up to 1,824 kg of cargo. The aircraft has unique characteristics which predetermine it especially for operation on short, unpaved runways or at high-altitude airports. Outstanding operation capability and versatility, high productivity and low operation costs make the EV-55 Outback a high value airplane for operators on the utility market. The aircraft is designed above all for the operators from the countries of South America, Africa and Asia with less developed traffic infrastructure. Companies from the USA and Canada, Russia and Australia belong among targeted customers, too. The marketing objective of the EV-55 Outback is to replace already obsolete twin-engine piston airplanes with capacity 6 - 9 passengers, today widely in operation on market, and successfully compete with single- engine turboprop airplanes which are currently in production. Military and rescue missions including humanitarian missions are other key areas of the EV-55 Outback operation.

The aircraft project was initiated by Evektor company and Association of Aviation Manufacturers of the Czech Republic in 2004 when an extensive marketing study was elaborated with the objective to find a suitable place on the General Aviation market that is not occupied by competing airplanes. It was followed by establishment of a consortium of companies from the Czech aircraft industry, managed by Evektor. Research and university institutions also became a part of the consortium. The project has been since the very beginning put on a program of science and research support of Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.

"Today, after 5 years of the effort of Evektor's design team and the other partners in consortium, we a have officially introduced the first prototype of the EV-55 Outback. It is a completion of the first and a very important part of development not only for me personally, but also for the whole team. We realize that there is still much work ahead of us. I believe that the airplane will find its customers and will become one of a number of successful projects of the Czech aircraft industry, " said Mr. Petr Sterba, Chief designer of the EV-55 Outback and deputy director of Evektor.

In the course of development the significant attention was paid especially to airplane versatility, its utility and low costs of operation and maintenance which are essential for aircraft success on the market. The aircraft will be delivered in 3 versions of cabin arrangement: Passenger, Cargo and Combi version combining the cargo compartment in the front part of the cabin and seats for passengers in the rear part.

The members of the EV-55 Outback consortium: Evektor spol. s r.o.; Evektor-Aerotechnik a.s.; AERO Vodochody a.s.; Alucast s.r.o.; Avia Propeller; Jihlavan a.s.; Jihostroj a.s.; MESIT prístroje spol. s r.o.; Mikrotechna Praha a.s.; PBS Velká Bítes a.s.; SVÚM a.s.; TEAZ s.r.o, Technometra Radotín a.s.; ÚJV Rez a.s.; UNIS a.s.; Aeronautical Institute of VUT in Brno, VR Group a.s. and VZLÚ a.s.

Evektor is one of the world's largest manufacturers of light sports airplanes, with 40 years history in aircraft production, 350+ employees and sales network in more than 40 countries worldwide. The company is producer of world-wide popular UL/LSA airplanes the EuroStar and the SportStar counting fleet of already 1000 units. The company is also supplier of aircraft parts and production jigs for the projects in the European aircraft industry; in the past the company participated for example in deliveries to Aero Ae270 and Aero L-159 programs or delivered assembly moving line for auxiliary fuel tanks program of the Boeing B747 program of Marshall Aerospace. Evektor design office is one among the leading design and development offices in the Czech Republic with design activities in aircraft as well as automotive industry. The newest Evektor's projects are presented by single engine four seater VUT100 Cobra and new generation twin turoboprop the EV-55 Outback.