Tecnam MMA

Airways Aero Associations Ltd the exclusive distributer for Tecnam aeroplanes in the UK, Ireland and Iceland is also able to offer potential customers the most modern airborne survey and surveillance platform in the sky, the Tecnam MMA (Multi Mission Aircraft).

AAA Ltd is working in close co-operation with Austria's Airborne Technologies, which is renowned for integrating sensors to general aviation aircraft. It selected the TECNAM P2006T twin as the ideal potential aerial platform for performing sensitive surveillance mission and surveying operations.

The engineering team at Airborne Technologies developed a set of modifications to this all metal, high wing aircraft to evolve it into today's TECNAM MMA.

The extensive modifications which are endorsed via EASA STCs include the creation of a large in-floor hatch with electrically operated doors, mission power supply (28 VOLTS, 60 AMPS) via a separate alternator and mission battery, a retractable sensor lift over the floor hatch for discrete sensors deployment, a multi-functional operator environment, a large electronic tray in the systems compartment, pilot's assisting screens and a number of hard points for different mission downlink antennae.

Airborne Technologies has a proven track record of overcoming many major challenges faced by the ISR community. Through substantial investment it has proactively developed, extensively flight tested and certified a wide range of sensor installations on the Tecnam MMA.

This has resulted in a low cost alternative to the many heritage aerial platforms, with the Tecnam MMA certified to support an extensive range of mission profiles, especially for worldwide military and government sponsored organisations as well as civilian surveying activities including but not restricted to: agricultural (precision farming) applications, forest inventory, land use classification, mining explorations and archaeological surveying.

One example of Airborne Technologies leadership is in the field of Hyperspectral Imaging which, linked to its Tecnam MMA aerial platform, is in constant demand by a number of customers around the world.

With the Hyperspectral scanner's ability to distinguish an object's unique electromagnetic spectral signature, it is possible to differentiate vegetation and other objects on the ground (e.g. for Cannabis detection).

In the military arena it plays a vital role in detecting various other materials such as metal or plastic (e.g. tank or camouflage nets).  By using a daylight camera during the flight, the information from the Hyperspectral scanner can be rechecked and 'unusual' materials can be detected.

Another recent Airborne Technologies achievement is developing and certifying the ability for the Tecnam MMA to perform surveying missions with up to five sensors simultaneously in one flight!

Airborne Technologies received full EASA certification for a multi sensor installation to acquire simultaneously ground data with airborne laser scanners, hyperspectral scanners, thermal cameras and RGB digital cameras, all in one flight.

Airways Associations Ltd has worked in very close partnership with both Tecnam and Airborne Technologies to produce an offering that is ideally suited for the UK surveying and surveillance environment. AAA Ltd's Managing Director, Tim Orchard is the only non Airborne Technologies pilot certified to test fly the Tecnam MMA. Tim's experience includes an amazing total of 11 sorties in a one day flight test show case for prospective customers at AAA Ltd's home airfield of Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire.

With its selection of cutting edge sensors linked exclusively to the Tecnam Multi Mission Aircraft (MMA), Austria's Airborne Technologies has firmly established itself as the ISR industries benchmark for innovation and mission delivery and will sell into the UK market through the Tecnam distributor at Wycombe Air Park.

Tecnam MMA Features

Tecnam MMA Specification