Aero-Service Panda

The Aero-Service Panda was designed by the Romanian company Aero-Service S.A. in the early 1980s as a multi-purpose light aircraft intended for agricultural, utility, and training roles. It featured a high-wing, strut-braced configuration with a fixed tricycle landing gear, and was powered by a single Lycoming O-360 engine. The prototype first flew in 1983, and the aircraft received Romanian type certification, but it never entered series production.

Only two prototypes were built, and the Panda did not attract commercial orders. The aircraft was exhibited at the 1985 Paris Air Show, but no sales resulted. It was later used for research and development purposes by Aero-Service before being retired.

No production variants were developed. The two prototypes differed slightly in equipment, but both retained the same basic airframe and engine.

The Panda's design was influenced by the American Piper PA-18 Super Cub, but with a more modern wing and cockpit.¹ It was one of the few Romanian aircraft designs of the 1980s to use a horizontally opposed engine rather than a radial or inline engine.² The aircraft's name 'Panda' was chosen to reflect its docile handling characteristics, similar to the animal. Despite its obscurity, the Panda remains a footnote in Romanian aviation history, representing an attempt to modernize the country's light aircraft fleet during the communist era.³

Type certificate

A document that certifies an aircraft design meets safety and airworthiness standards.

High-wing

Aircraft configuration where the wing is mounted above the fuselage.

Tricycle landing gear

Landing gear with two main wheels and a nosewheel, providing stability on the ground.