A Maine start-up has hit 100 orders for a clean sheet amphibious forward-looking design that borrows a name and heritage from aviation's Golden Age. Mallard Enterprises has sold 30 of its ME-1A twin turboprops to a South African start up regional airline JOLY. The capacious flying boat will carry 19 passengers 350 nautical miles at 250 knots in the regional airline configuration. There is also a 10-passenger executive layout with a range of 980 nm.
Wonder why they think they have the magic formula while Dornier tried and failed for years to sell its turbo-prop twin flying boat?
And I wonder how much cash Joly has put up to “buy” the aircraft which, as far as I can see “promises to be certified.”
There is a lot of South African investment in tourism off the Mozambique coast, but 30 seems a lot for a daily hotel shuttle business.
“environmentally sustainable travel experience” There are the magic words which already show this is not an economically sustainable venture, since they are appealing to those who actually believe in man-made climate change and the myth of limited resources. Wait for battery technology to catch up? Don’t hold your breath - battery-powered vehicles predated gasoline and diesel engines!
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