On August 13, 2013, the first flight of the new experimental aircraft VUT 061 TURBO took place at Henčov Airport near Jihlava. This single-seat aircraft is another product of academic innovation. Registered as OK-DLT, it will serve První brněnská strojírna Velká Bíteš a.s. as a flying laboratory to test the new Czech turboprop engine TP-100. The project was supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic under the TIP program (Project FR-TI2/276).
The development of the VUT 061 TURBO exemplifies the strong connection between academia and industry. It is the result of a collaboration between the Institute of Aerospace Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology (FSI), and its industrial partners. While the aircraft is based on its predecessor, the VUT 001 Marabu, which was introduced by the institute in June 2010, it was specifically designed to validate the parameters and support further development of the TP-100 turboprop engine, which produces 180 kilowatts of power.
PBS Velká Bíteš is the only company in the Czech Republic engaged in the development and production of turboprop engines for small aircraft and helicopters. The integration of the powerful TP-100 engine significantly influenced the design and systems of the new aircraft, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.