Private Single Engine
Overview
The Extra EA 500 was a six-seat composite single-engine aircraft developed for high-speed personal transport. Designed in Germany, it combined sleek aerodynamics with pressurization for enhanced comfort. The program aimed to compete in the premium piston aircraft market.
Specifications
Units
- Engine
- 1 × Rolls-Royce 250-B17F/2
- Engine type
- Turboprop
- Power
- 450 shp · 336 kW
- Avionics
- —
- Wing tips
- No winglets
- Seats
- 5
- Crew
- —
- Cabin width
- —
- Cabin height
- —
- Cabin length
- —
- Exterior length
- —
- Tail height
- —
- Fuselage diameter
- —
- Wing span
- —
- Baggage volume
- —
- Gross weight
- —
- Empty weight
- —
- Max takeoff weight
- 10,400 lb · 4,700 kg
- Max landing weight
- —
- Max payload
- 1,600 lb · 750 kg
- Fuel capacity
- Max cruise speed
- 226 kt · 260 mph · 419 km/h
- Maximum speed
- —
- Cruise speed
- —
- Approach speed
- —
- Range
- —
- Fuel burn
- 21.38 nm/gal · 10.46 km/L
- Ceiling
- —
- Rate of climb
- —
- Takeoff distance
- 1,250 ft · 380 m
- Landing distance
- 920 ft · 280 m
Gallery
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Operational Context
Extra EA 500 — pressurized composite touring aircraft
The EA 500 program began in the early 2000s as Extra Aircraft sought to expand beyond aerobatic designs into the touring segment. The prototype first flew in 2002, and certification followed later in the decade. The aircraft featured composite construction and a pressurized cabin uncommon among piston singles.
Powered by a Continental TSIO-550 engine producing approximately 350 horsepower, the EA 500 cruises at around 185 knots (345 km/h). Maximum takeoff weight is about 4,000 pounds (1,815 kg). The aircraft typically seats up to six occupants and offers a range of roughly 1,000 nautical miles (1,850 km) depending on configuration.
Despite its advanced design, production numbers remained limited. Economic conditions and market competition constrained widespread adoption. The EA 500 remains a notable attempt to blend pressurization, speed, and composite construction in a piston-powered touring aircraft.