Utilicraft FF-1080

Utilicraft FF-1080

The FF-1080 is an aircraft design by Utilicraft Aerospace Industries of Albuquerque, New Mexico for a twin tubroprop aircraft fitted to carry LD3 aircraft cargo containers between large airports and smaller airports.

Twin Pratt & Whitney PW-150C turbines turn propellers with eight blades, to power the STOL aircraft for takeoff runs as short of less than 3,000 feet (1 km). The aircraft is designed to carry as much as 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) for a 3,200-nautical-mile (5,900 km) range carrying beneath its 1,315 square feet (122.2 m2) of high-mounted wings.

American Utilicraft, the predecessor of Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, patented the design for the FF-1080 in 1991. Prototype engineering began in 2000 at Aircraft Design Services Incorporated in San Antonio, Texas. A company called Micro Craft was chosen to build the prototype, with plans to build subassemblies at a factory in Huntsville, Alabama and to assemble the prototype at Gwinnett Airport in Atlanta.

On February 13, American Utilicraft entered a memorandum of understanding with the San Juan Pueblo (now known as the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo) to build a production aircraft assembly plant in northern New Mexico. The Ohkay Owingeh Indian pueblo is the owner of Ohkay Owingeh Airport. State officials encouraged the companies and the pueblo to seek state loans to begin production of the aircraft.