First mexican aircraft of the 21st century

http://www.aeromarmi.com/nuestro%20avion1.htm

First Mexican aircraft assembler

2007-08-31

Mexico- Aeromarmi is the first Mexican company that builds airplanes
in Mexico. It will build two seater aircraft with a market price of
US$90 thousand. The Company wants to found an aeronautic industry
that competes against foreign companies and provides safe airplanes
to customers according to their needs; these airplanes can even be
used for safety purposes.

In an interview with El Financiero Bajio, the President of
Aeromarmi, Miguel Martinez Mireles, pointed-out that the aeronautics
sector is one of the less developed sectors in Mexico, it is rather
excluded and lags behind; while there are great opportunities to
start a solid industry with a future. This aeronautics firm, he
pointed-out, was created in San Luis Potosi taking into
consideration the need to take advantage of the opportunities that
lay there. “I can see a need to develop aviation in Mexico. 95% of
airplanes flying in Mexico are over 30 years old, then, of course,
this is something we must pay attention to; it means that there is a
business opportunity in airplanes construction”.

And to start this project, he added, the Company has invested up to
now MEP$6 million. “We have not finished the investment, there are
still important things to be done, such as a tests runway, so that
airplanes built may directly fly away”, he said.

The investment to make the airplanes production project come true
will require US$2 million, he estimated. The Company “is producing a
small two seater airplane, it is basically for flight schools and
for surveillance, for example, in highways, coasts, the Sierra; it
can stay flying at just 37 miles per hour”.

These are very light aircraft but more resistant than metal
aircraft, “we are trying to have them weigh no more than 771
pounds”. The wing-to-wing width is 32 feet and from helix to tail it
is close to 23 feet. Engine are imported, from Australia, Austria
and Germany; and we are looking for others in the United States.

An 80 hp engine would be perfect for coasts, to fly at sea level,
but in cities like San Luis Potosi, with 6,200 feet above sea level,
a more powerful engine is required. Tests are being run with
different engines to meet the customer’s needs, he said.

Four airplanes have been built, three have a 95% advance and one is
completely finished and already flying. And “we are offering them
for US$90 thousand. Flying an airplane like ours is easier than
driving a car”, he added. Regarding production goals, he said
that “in current conditions one airplane is produced per month, but
if we receive important orders we have the capacity to assemble
three airplanes every month.

Source: El Financiero

http://www.maquilaportal.com/cgi-bin/public/board.pl?klie=6

Seems like the mexican air forces will have not a jet fighter but light surveillance aircraft to patrol the mexican borders