New Aircraft Roundup

AASI Jetcruzer 500
Beginning in 1988, Advanced Aerodynamics and Structures Inc (AASI) built two Jetcruzer 450 pusher propjets, powered by an Allison (now Rolls-Royce) 250-C20S. The prototype, publicly unveiled at the 1988 NBAA show, first flew on January 11, 1989. The Jetcruzer 450 received FAR 23 certification in June 1994, but did not enter production. AASI has since moved on to the larger, more powerful and pressurized Jetcruzer 500, of which it has constructed two flying prototypes, plus one static- and one pressure-test airframe. The Jetcruzer flight test programme has recorded over 1,000 flight hours. The last major certification tests-of the cabin pressurization system-were completed this past May. AASI says it is one of only two commercial aircraft manufacturers in the world that has completed pressurization tests for a fully-composite fuselage. Maximum cruise speed testing (to the predicted 345 mph) should be completed early in the fourth quarter of 2000, after which full-scale production of the Jetcruzer 500 and customer progress payments will begin. AASI expects to obtain its FAA type certification amendment in the second quarter of 2001, and to deliver the first Jetcruzer 500s in the third quarter.

Alberta Aerospace/Phoenix Fanjet
The Alberta Aerospace Corporation (AAC) of Alberta, Canada, is developing the Phoenix Fanjet family of light turbofan aircraft-all based on the Promavia Jet Squalus, a two-seat side-by-side military trainer designed by Stelio Frati-noted for the Falco, SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 and other stylish Italian lightplanes. The Jet Squalus never entered production in its native Belgium. AAC picked up the design, and the two extant prototypes, and has developed two new versions-the two-seat SigmaJet trainer, and the four-seat MagnaJet business aircraft. AAC claims the MagnaJet combines docile low-speed handling characteristics with a 345 kts cruise speed, and provides performance at a cost-per-mile comparable to that of a high-performance piston aircraft. The MagnaJet is powered by a pair of FJ44-1A turbofans and offers a range of 1,179 nmi. Only one (two-seat) Fanjet prototype is active, but Alberta Aerospace began serious marketing efforts for the production-standard SigmaJet in April 2000. The company expects to fly the first SigmaJet in 2001, with the first MagnaJet following about 12 months later.

Ayres Corporation LM200 Loadmaster
Development of the Ayres Loadmaster is progressing slowly and is now two years behind schedule. Technical and funding problems have blocked progress on the aircraft, which still promises to be a revolutionary cargo/utility hauler. The Loadmaster program is being driven by FedEx which is the launch-and so far only-customer, having placed firm orders for 75 aircraft, with options on a further 175. Ayres had planned to begin delivering these in late 1999, but the first Loadmaster is not now expected to fly until early 2001. One major obstacle has been failure of the development schedule of its LHTEC CTS800-4P turboprop to keep pace with that of the airframe. The first CTS800 is due to be delivered to Ayres in December. Last month a serious problem arose when Ayres's Czech subsidiary Let-which was to play a vital role in the Loadmaster program -had a bankruptcy petition filed against it by a state-controlled finance house. Its Kunovice, Czech Republic factory was gearing up to supply most of the important airframe assemblies to Ayres' main plant at Albany, GA, and was earmarked to become a secondary production line. If the bankruptcy petition against Let succeeds, Ayres has discussed the possibility of moving production to Poland or Romania, and may also forge a partnership with Israeli Aircraft Industries, which is seeking additional airframe work following the cancellation of the Fairchild Dornier 428JET. Under current plans, Ayres hopes to certificate the Loadmaster within 12 months of first flight, but FedEx sources say they expect this take as long as 18 to 24 months.

Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company (BAAC) BA609 tiltrotor and AB139
The BA609 tiltrotor program is progressing toward a first flight within the next 12 months. Component, structural, icing and wind tunnel tests (at Texas A&M University) began in early 1999. The wing torque box for the first aircraft is now under construction and the side panels are at the tooling stage. The civil tiltrotor has received commitments for over 80 aircraft, from 42 customers in 18 countries. The AB139 is an Agusta-designed medium-lift twin-engined helicopter that will take the place of the licence-built AB412 in its product line. The AB139 has been designed with the corporate market in mind, but Agusta is also working on a range of variants for offshore support, EMS, law enforcement and utility missions. Sales progress has been slow so far, with just a handful of orders announced. Agusta expects this to change once the helicopter is flying and the test program underway. The first customer deliveries are scheduled for 2002.

Bombardier Continental
The Continental is an eight-seat, transcontinental mid-size business jet. In July 2000 Bombardier Aerospace announced that the first major subassembly for the first Continental-the forward fuselage-had been delivered by Canadair for final assembly at Learjet's Wichita, KS, facility. The Continental assembly facility is on schedule to become fully operational this month, and initial component deliveries from risk-sharing partners worldwide have already begun. All test rigs have been commissioned and the majority have been shipped to Wichita. The first Honeywell AS907 engines have been delivered. According to Bombardier, the design, testing and certification process is on track, with certification testing of the new integrated tailcone design already successfully completed with Transport Canada. Final assembly of the first aircraft began in September and should be completed, with official rollout, next spring. First flight is scheduled for mid-2001 followed by type certification in the fall of 2002 and first customer delivery in December of the same year.

Century Aerospace CA-100 Century Jet
The Williams FJ-33-1-powered CA-100 Century Jet began life in 1993 as the single-engined Paragon Spirit. It was relaunched in its current twin-engined configuration at the 1998 NBAA Convention. Century Aerospace had hoped to begin work on the first prototype in 1999, with a first flight scheduled for June 2000. This process has been delayed by the quest for funding. According to Century Aerospace the CA-100 will have a direct operating cost of $335 per hour. Century also claims to have one of the roomiest and most elegant interiors ever seen in this class of aircraft. Century is currently in final negotiations with its potential component suppliers and its final assembly site. On latest predictions, the Century Jet should make its maiden flight about 20 months after the final partnership agreements have been signed. Certification and customer deliveries would follow in another 18 months. Century's order book is believed to stand at about 50 aircraft, each valued at some $2.7 million.

Cessna Citations
At the 1998 NBAA show Cessna announced no less than four new additions to the Citation family. Since then each program has been making steady progress.
Citation CJ1: Intended to replace the entry-level Model 525 CitationJet, the CJ1 features increased operating weights (for extended range) and a new Collins Pro Line 21 avionics fit. The CJ1 integration of the Pro Line 21 system marks the first corporate aviation application of the new Rockwell Collins avionics package. Cessna delivered its first CJ1 to the Commercial Envelope Manufacturing Company on 31 March 2000. With this milestone delivery the CJ1 became the first of the four new Citations to enter operation. Customer orders for the Citation CJ1 extend into the third quarter of 2001.
Citation: CJ2: the CJ2 is a stretched six-seat version of the CJ1, with more powerful FJ44-2C turbofans and a Collins Pro Line 21 avionics fit. The Model 525A Citation CJ2 gaining its FAA certification on 21 June 2000 and has proved to have performance far in advance of those originally predicted by Cessna. In July the Citation CJ2 had its public unveiling at the EAA 2000 show in Oshkosh. The CJ2 was introduced in response to market input asking for higher cruise speeds, more cabin room and greater range than the CJ1. It features a wingspan three feet greater than that of the CJ1. The fuselage features six passenger windows on each side. The combined 35 inch cabin stretch and 17 inch tailcone stretch provides space for two additional passenger seats, making the standard layout a six-seat center club configuration. The new FJ44-2C engines each provide 2,300 pounds of thrust. The first customer delivery of the Citation CJ2 is scheduled for fourth quarter 2000.
Citation Encore: The Encore is a development of the Model 560 Ultra. It optimizes the aerodynamic design of the Ultra and integrates several improvements to increase performance and passenger comfort. These include more fuel-efficient engines, trailing-link landing gear, bleed-air anti-iced wing leading-edges, more full fuel payload, an updated interior, improved systems, 14-inch wingtip extensions to improve performance, and overall improved maintainability. Powering the Encore is a pair of 3,400 pounds thrust Pratt & Whitney PW535A turbofans which provide a 12% increase in available power over the Ultra. The Encore also boasts a 15% improvement in SFC over the Ultra. The standard avionics package is the Honeywell Primus 1000. The first production Encore was rolled out on 17 March 2000, and on 26 April the FAA awarded the Model 560 Citation Encore its type certificate. Customer deliveries are scheduled for the third quarter of 2000.
Citation Sovereign: The Model 680 Sovereign fits into the Cessna product line just under the Citation X. According to Cessna, the Sovereign will have the largest cabin of any traditional midsize jet, a 2,500 nmi range with NBAA IFR reserves and eight passengers, the ability to fly coast-to-coast without speed reductions, and outstanding runway performance-all at a traditional midsize price of $11,995,000. Following extensive wind tunnel testing throughout 1999, advanced development began in January 2000, when an integrated product team began work on the Sovereign prototype. Certification and production ramp-up is scheduled for 2003, followed by service entry. Cessna has chosen the new Honeywell Primus Epic integrated avionics system for the Sovereign. It will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW306C engines.

Chichester-Miles Leopard
Britain's CMC Leopard is a four-seat business jet and was the very first 'personal jet' design to be conceived and actually built. In 1983 Ian Chichester-Miles, a former head of research at British Aerospace, established Chichester-Miles Consultants to develop the aircraft. The Leopard 001, which first flew in 1988, debuted at the 1990 Farnborough Air Show. It was a proof-of-concept aircraft, with basic controls and rudimentary systems and was powered by two British-built 300 pounds thrust NPT 301-3A turbojets. The Leopard 002 prototype, which first flew in April 1997, was powered by an interim version of the Williams FJX-2 (FJX-1), rated at 700 pounds thrust. This version is fully pressurised, features an EFIS avionics fit, has a maximum speed of 250 kts and cruises at 25,000 feet. The latest iteration of the design, Leopard 003, is now under development and construction. It will be powered by full-fledged FJX-2 engines and has been entirely designed using CAD systems.

Embraer Legacy
At July's Farnborough International Air Show, Embraer unveiled a new super midsize business jet with a $1 billion launch order described as the largest ever single order from a non-fractional ownership bizjet operator-25 orders and 25 options, from Phoenix-based Swift Aviation. The Greek government will also acquire a single VIP aircraft. According to Embraer, the aircraft brings an unprecedented combination of long range and low price to the corporate market. The $19 million Legacy is derived from the ERJ-135 regional jet, but with uprated Rolls-Royce AE3007-A1P engines and a new belly fuel tank which extends the Legacy's range to over 3,000 nmi, with 10 passengers and NBAA reserves. Three versions will be available: 8- to 10-seat VIP configuration, 20-seat corporate shuttle, and government VIP configuration. Embraer will convert the No. 2 ERJ-135 prototype to serve as the Legacy demonstrator, adding a series of progressive airframe modifications to flight test the Legacy's new features. It plans to have the first production aircraft in the air by early 2001, with certification slated for 31 August 2001 and service entry with Swift Aviation next day.

Eclipse Aviation Eclipse 500 Jet
Development of the Eclipse 500 Jet is steadily progressing. Initial wind tunnel testing has finished, and the aircraft is now in its detailed design phase. The aircraft's first flight is planned for June 2002, with certification following a year later. Eclipse Aviation will not disclose its order book (deposits are understood to have been received for over 150 aircraft) but says it is on schedule to deliver the first customer aircraft on 1 August 2003. In July Eclipse announced the final price, guaranteed performance and standard equipment specifications for the Eclipse 500 Jet. List price for the twin turbofan aircraft has been set at $837,500, in June 2000 dollars. Eclipse has also set out some firm performance figures for the aircraft: maximum cruise speed will be 355 kts and range (with four occupants) will be 1,300 nmi. The Eclipse 500 Jet's useful load is 2,000 pounds. Eclipse Aviation is now offering a new Extended Range option for the airplane, using two removable tiptanks which boost maximum range from 1,600 nmi to 1,825 nmi. All Eclipse 500 Jets will be equipped with provisions for attaching the tiptanks, which can be easily added or removed by a certified aircraft mechanic. Maximum cruise speed with tiptanks is 345 kts. Pricing for the Extended Range version has not yet been announced, but the aircraft is expected to become available in early 2004.

Fairchild Dornier Envoy 7
The Envoy 7 is the dedicated corporate/VIP version of Fairchild Dornier 728JET. It features a cabin that is 128 inches wide and almost seven feet high-giving it nearly twice the cabin volume of its competitors, Fairchild Dornier claims, at a price of $30.5 million. The Envoy 7 is designed to carry 12 passengers on intercontinental flights, with comfortable seating, large conference facilities and even a stateroom equipped with a shower. The Envoy 7 is powered by the same General Electric CF34-8D3 engines of the 728JET regional airliner, providing a maximum range of 4,000 nmi. During the 1999 Paris Air Show, U.S. fractional jet operator Flight Options Inc became Envoy 7 launch customer with an order for 25 aircraft valued at more than $760 million. Envoy 7 customer deliveries were scheduled to begin in mid-2002, but with the general slippage across the 728JET program this timetable is now uncertain.

Farnborough F1
Richard Noble's Farnborough-Aircraft.com is the world's first Internet-driven aerospace company. It is currently designing and about to start building the Farnborough F1 turboprop single. The company depends on its Internet operations for funding, recruitment and product awareness. The Farnborough F1 is described as the first of the new generation long-range 'air taxi' aircraft, providing a Web-driven on-demand, point-to-point service from small uncongested airfields. The PT6A-powered six-seat aircraft features composite construction, and will cruise at 30,000 feet with a range of up to 1,000 miles. It should set new standards in aerodynamics, low noise and operator profitability, Farnborough-Aircraft.com claims, predicting a worldwide market for as many as 16,000 aircraft. A full-scale fuselage mockup was exhibited at the Farnborough International Air Show in July. Farnborough-Aircraft.com is now gearing up to begin production of the first aircraft for flight testing. It holds two announced orders for the F1, which it values at $4 million.

Raytheon Premier I and Hawker Horizon
While still waiting to obtain its type certification, Raytheon is pressing ahead with its Premier I marketing efforts. More than 250 I aircraft are now in the order book, with a backlog that stretches into 2005. Raytheon Aircraft expected to achieve FAA certification "by the end of the summer" and believes the announcement is now "imminent". The first customer deliveries will begin immediately thereafter. Snags in the flight test programme have delayed this process by nearly a year. The Hawker Horizon super midsize jet is now approximately two years late. The maiden flight, predicted for the end of 1999, will not now occur until next year. Under current plans Raytheon expects to roll out the prototype Horizon by the end of 2000 and to fly it in the first quarter of 2001. Certification is planned for 2002 and deliveries should then begin immediately. Raytheon holds over 150 orders and options for the Horizon.

Safire S-26
Florida-based Safire Aircraft Company was established in September 1998 to manufacture a family of affordable turbofan jet aircraft. Its first design, the Safire S-26 Personal Jet, will be a six-seat twin-engined aircraft with similar characteristics to other entry-level business jets now underway, and with a target price of approximately $800,000. According to Safire, over 650 orders and deposits have been received for the S-26, to a value of more than $500 million. Safire plans a first flight for the S-26 Personal Jet in 2002, with first customer deliveries in 2003.

Sikorsky S-92
In July 2000 Sikorsky announced that it was subjecting the S-92 to a substantial redesign, in response to "customer requests for additional cabin space and a larger main door." The S-92's cabin is being extended by 16 inches, reducing the height of the tail pylon and relocating the horizontal stabilizer. The extension adds to the forward part of the cabin and will permit the installation of a 50-inch wide door to improve hoisting capabilities and accommodate a Stokes litter. Reducing the tail pylon by approximately 40 inches will largely offset the additional weight from the cabin extension. These changes will move the aircraft's center of gravity forward and result in a flatter hover attitude that improves visibility for confined and shipboard landings, and also increases aft fuselage ground clearance on landing. The changes will also maintain the S-92's target payload and range. Cougar Helicopter, an offshore oil operator based in eastern Canada, is the S-92 launch customer, having signed a deposit agreement for up to five S-92s, with deliveries starting in 2002. Other civil customers are Helijet of Vancouver, British Columbia, Copter Action of Finland and Aircontactgruppen AS of Norway. Sikorsky has been invited to negotiate for the Nordic Standard Helicopter Program (NSHP) contract, a joint effort by Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway to procure 73 helicopters for SAR, transport and maritime missions. If the S-92 is selected, Patria Finavitec Oy of Finland would provide helicopter final assembly, test and some completion operations, while Saab AB of Sweden would provide NSHP systems design and integration.

Sino Swearingen SJ30-2
The first conforming prototype SJ30-2 business jet was rolled out at the Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation's headquarters in San Antonio, TX, on 17 July. The SJ30-2 is a seven-place business jet designed around the Williams Rolls FJ44-2A engine. It has The has a 2,500 nmi NBAA IFR range and will fly at speeds in excess of Mach 0.8, operate at altitudes up to FL490, and be certified for single-pilot operation. The company is currently preparing for the first flight, scheduled before the end of October. A one-year flight test program for a Part 23 type certificate will follow. In addition to the prototype, three additional flying airframes will be built, along with one static test and one fatigue test airframe. They will follow each other off the production line at six-week intervals. These aircraft will all be built at the San Antonio facility, but upon completion all tooling will be moved to the final production site at Eastern West Virginia Airport, Martinsburg, WV. Initial tooling was moved to Martinsburg earlier this year and the whole process should be completed by the end of this year. Sino Swearingen anticipates a 12-month flight test program. Certification is anticipated for the fourth quarter of 2001 with customer deliveries to begin immediately afterwards.