Turkish-designed aircraft wins German excellence award

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

An aircraft modeled by a Turkish designer was rewarded for its perfection at the German Design Award 2019.

Created by the design center Designnobis team led by its founder Hakan Gürsu, the Turkish Eagle Alpina received the "Excellent Product Design" award.     

The aircraft is expected to be further developed by Aquila Aviation factory and Bursa Space and Aviation, while its production is projected to begin in Turkey.

According to a statement by Celal Gokçen, owner of  the factory, the aircraft was the first Turkish design in 10 years to win gold in a competition among international industry giants.

The aircraft is designed to fit four people and can land on sea as it has floats under its half-wings.

According to the jury statement on the official webpage of the competition, "Alpina is a pleasantly compact and exciting sports aircraft."

"A sensational, totally contemporary and elegantly designed aircraft that is ideal for short distances,” the statement reads.

The German Design Award is organized under the auspices of the German government to support the culture of industry, production and design since 1969.

This year's award ceremony will be held in Frankfurt as part of the International Frankfurt Fair in February.

Gürsu is a Turkish industrial designer and professor at Ankara's Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) who has won won multiple awards internationally.

He also received the Designer of the Year award from the International Association of Designers in 2014, among others.