Evektor EV-55 Outback
The Evektor EV-55 Outback is a twin turboprop aircraft, that is one of the smallest with shoulder mounted wings and a T-tail. This combination of features already makes it easy to distinguish from other aircraft, but there are more characteristics. Take for example the curved top of the fuselage from the long nose over the wing-fuselage fairing. Furthermore, the EV-55 has a single wheel main gear that retracts in fairings attached to the fuselage, and has large gear doors. The double wheel trailing link nose gear retracts forward. Eventually, only two flying prototypes were built before the project ended. At first the EV-55 had no winglets, but later they were fitted to both airplanes. (top photo: Petr Štěrba/WikiMedia, modified)
From this angle you can well appreciate the very streamlined front of the EV-55, the large main landing gear doors and five large cabin windows. (photo: Petr Štěrba/WikiMedia, modified)
Here's the EV-55 in flight with one engine out. Note the low, pointed winglets that were added later during the development. (photo: Zdenek Navratil - www.czechairspotters.com, used with permission)
Confusion possible with
Dornier 228
Except for the location of the horizontal stabilisers, the Dornier 228 looks quite similar to the EV-55, including the long nose, double wheel nose gear and single wheel main gears retracting in pods under the fuselage. The cabin windows are smaller though, the wings have pointed tips and the fuselage is more 'box-like'.
Cessna 408 Skycourier
The Cessna Skycourier has a similar configuration and size as the Outback, but is slightly larger. More importantly, the Cessna has a fixed, all single wheel gear, strut-braced wings, and a significantly more box-like appearance.
Leonardo AW609
Another aircraft with high wings, a T-tail and two props. In this case the props are large, placed at the wing tips and can be tilted: the AW609 is a tilt rotor. Also different is the main gear that retracts rearward in the fuselage. (photo: pjs2005/WikiMedia, modified)
