Pipistrel Panthera

Single Piston

The Pipistrel Panthera is a sleek four-seat composite tourer from Slovenia's Pipistrel Aircraft, designed to blend efficiency with cross-country speed in the high-performance single-engine market. First flown in 2011 and certified under EASA CS-23, the Panthera features a low-wing configuration with retractable tricycle gear, a 260-horsepower Lycoming IO-540 engine, and a spacious cabin with side-by-side front seating and a rear bench. Its composite airframe — built from carbon fiber and Kevlar — delivers a cruise speed around 170 knots while burning roughly 13 gallons per hour, making it one of the most fuel-efficient aircraft in its class. The design emphasizes safety and handling, with a wide track landing gear, excellent visibility through a bubble canopy, and benign stall characteristics. Pipistrel, best known for pioneering electric and ultralight aircraft (including the world's first type-certified electric airplane, the Velis Electro), developed the Panthera as its flagship piston tourer to compete with established types like the Cirrus SR22 and Cessna TTx. The Panthera's performance envelope includes a never-exceed speed of 205 knots, a max structural cruising speed of 178 knots, and a service ceiling above 20,000 feet, giving it genuine high-altitude capability for mountain and long-range operations. Its stall speeds — 54 knots in landing configuration and 59 knots clean — are notably low for a high-performance single, aided by the wing's generous area and advanced airfoil. Production has been limited, with only a handful of aircraft delivered to date, making the type rare in operational fleets. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, covering routes.