When I heard that Italian aircraft manufacturer Vulcanair earned an FAA type certificate for its V1.0 four-seater this past December, for some reason my mind did a rewind to a time when Fiat was trying to sell its X1/9 targa sports car in the American market. The two have absolutely nothing in common, of course, but everything in common when it comes to market acceptance and support confidence. Thankfully, the X1/9 went away in 1982. Tony will never have to fix many of them again. These days Fiat is enjoying better American market acceptance with a few new models that seem priced just right. Whether the American airplane market will embrace a Skyhawk look-alike from Italy is anyone’s guess, but Vulcanair might be nicely positioned for success.
