Perched high above an impressive undercart (top) the 1118 looks like the winner it is.

Airtest – Swearingen Merlin 1118

AADR Airtest

Magic Merlin

Energy efficiency and the need to improve it is a situation likely to be with the world as we know it for quite some time – at least, far into the greyness of this new decade and beyond.

Merlin is powered by two 900shp Garret turboprops, has a range cruise speed of around 260kts with legs that in 1979 took a Merlin from Washington DC non-stop across the Atlantic to Cologne, Germany. (Margaret Thorn & Rob Fox).

Australia is, despite some alleged experts’ opinions, still a vital part of this planet in terms of commercial life, business and corporate transportation. And the need to travel great distances with maximum speed and safety, even within this continent, has always been paramount.

In other parts of the world, general aviation is taking a bigger slice of the action when it comes to fast, reliable transportation wedded to fuel efficiency.

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