Piper Aircraft announced that three new fleet customers in India have ordered a total of 47 Archer DX trainers. India is growing into a new source for trainer orders. Airline travel is a growth market in the country, and local airlines will need a steady supply of new pilots in the coming year.
Skynex Aero ordered 27 aircraft for delivery in 2024-25, Dunes Aviation Academy ordered 10 aircraft to be delivered in 2024, and Vman Aero Services ordered 10 Archer DXs to be delivered in 2024.
The Archer DX is powered by a Continental CD-155 turbocharged diesel piston engine that runs on Jet-A fuel like a turboprop rather than the 100LL avgas the powers the overwhelming majority of U.S.-based piston-powered aircraft, including its siblings, the Archer TX and LX models.
The DX burns less than 6 gallons per hour at 65 percent power, according to Piper, making it an economic aircraft for training flights. The Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite provides a modern cockpit environment for students, readying them for the computer screen-centric environment of contemporary airliners.
Archer delivered a total of 620 Archer family aircraft over the past five years. It competes primarily against Textron Aviation’s Cessna 172 Skyhawk in the trainer and private aviation markets. I’m currently working on updating our forecast for both aircraft for 2023-2037. It will be released in our November update for online and hard-copy clients. Platinum subscribers should see new forecasts within the next month.
A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Douglas Royce is currently co-editor of four of Forecast International's Market Intelligence Services: Civil Aircraft Forecast, Military Aircraft Forecast, Rotorcraft Forecast, and Aviation Gas Turbine Forecast. As such, he plays a key role in many important projects that involve market sizing and forecasting for various segments of the world aerospace industry, as well as demand for related systems.
