Photo Gallery: Sun 'n Fun 2024

At Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida on opening day,  Daher’s Aircraft Division announced the startup of increased production for the Kodiak 100 and Kodiak 900 utility aircraft at its manufacturing and final assembly facility in Sandpoint, Idaho. 

Production targets for Kodiak aircraft are expected to rise to 25 in 2024, up from 18 in 2023. 

At the same time, Daher is making the U.S. air show debut of its TBM 960 turboprop at Sun ‘n Fun. The company has a two-year backlog of orders for the aircraft. The company also is enhancing the TBM 960 2024 versions with a pilot inactivity function that automatically activates the HomeSafe emergency Autoland system after 30 min. if there is no pilot interaction with the aircraft’s systems. The system automatically lands the aircraft. 

Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo, which runs April 9 to 14, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. 

The event has grown from a small fly-in for sport aviation enthusiasts in 1974 to Florida’s largest annual convention.

The event is expected to draw 200,000 attendees, more than 3,100 registered aircraft, 3,000 volunteers and a record number of exhibitors—563 exhibitors in 805 exhibit spaces to showcase products and services.

Daher's EcoPulse hybrid distributed propulsion demonstrator has conducted 14 "e-flights" since the first e-flight in November 2023, Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of Daher's aircraft division, told reporters in a press conference during Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo. 

The aircraft, under its Phase 3 testing, has accumulated 10 hr. on the APU and 6 hr. on the high-voltage battery pack. 

The company will begin the conceptual design of the aircraft later this year. The next steps are to evaluate the environmental impact on noise and how one can control the differential power provided by the engines. Phase 4 testing will look at the hybrid-electric systems. 

 The company must also determine how to produce it. 

Daher continues to plan for a 2027 in-service date, but it is not an easy certification path, he says.

While Daher knows how to certify aircraft, certifying a high-voltage electrical system remains an unknown path. 

Textron Aviation is showcasing its Cessna Skyhawk 172, Cessna Turbo Skylane 182 and Cessna Turbo Stationair 210 HD with enhanced interiors for the first time at Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo. The company, which builds the models at its Independence, Kansas, facility, began deliveries of the aircraft with upgraded interiors in 2024. 

The aircraft include all-new seats, power headset jacks at every seat, A and C USB charging ports at every seat, updated black instrument panels, side and cell phone pockets, integrated overhead air conditioning and other features. The company also is offering a variety of new exterior schemes. 

Piper Aircraft is making the public debut of its new single-engine Piper M700 Fury turboprop at Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo with first customer deliveries to begin in a week, officials say.

In February, the Vero Beach, Florida-based manufacturer announced the Piper M700 and received FAA type certification for the aircraft, which outperforms and replaces the Piper M600 turboprop.

The company plans to deliver about 50 M700s in 2024, officials say.  The base price for the aircraft is $4.15 million with a typically equipped price of $4.3 million.

Cirrus Aircraft unveiled its new "Cirrus One" concierge aircraft management service for  Cirrus SR Series and Vision Jet owners in the Orlando, Dallas and Phoenix areas. 

The services can be tailored to an owner’s needs, and can include professional pilot services, aircraft maintenance, aircraft management, hangar space, insurance coordination and concierge services, such as ground transportation coordination, hotel and dining reservations, aircraft handling and cleaning and other services, the company notes.

Tecnam Aircraft is showcasing its line of Italian-built aircraft at Sun ‘n Fun. 

The training market is robust, Tecnam officials say. In March, for example, French training facility Mermoz Academy, based in Tours, France, expanded its fleet with the acquisition of 10 Tecnam P-Mentor trainers.