A lightweight aircraft designed and produced in Romania by former transport minister Radu Berceanu will be on display in the AERO 2015 aviation expo in Germany this week.

The aircraft, which is called SWAN, is designed for one person and weighs just 115 kilograms. The concept complies with the Part103 regulations in the U.S. and with the microlight SSDR standards in the U.K., which means that owners don’t need to register the aircraft or own a pilot’s license to fly it.

The same regulations require the aircraft to have a fuel tank of less than 25 liters and limit the maximum speed to 100 kilometers per hour, according to the Romanian Aircraft Pilots and Owners Association (AOPA Romania).

The SWAN aircraft is powered by a 30 hp engine. Its wide cabin and large glass surface offer high visibility to the pilot.

The aircraft’s designer and producer is Radu Berceanu, a former minister in several cabinets. Berceanu served as minister of industry and commerce from April 1998 until November 2000. He was also minister of transport from August 2006 until April 2007 and then from December 2008 until September 2010.

Berceanu was also a member of the Romanian Parliament from 1990 until 2012. In April 2012 he retired from politics and returned to his first occupation, of airspace engineer.

AERO 2015 is one of the largest aviation exhibitions in Europe. It takes place between April 15 and April 18 in the German city of Friedrichshafen.

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editor@romania-insider.com