Alberta Aerospace has shipped the tooling for its Phoenix FanJet single engine line to Morovan Aeroplanes, less than three months after the Czech Republic-based manufacturer was selected as the programme's production tooling supplier.
Morovan, which builds the Zlin range of light aircraft, is contracted to certificate all production tooling to US and European certification standards. It will also complete a duplicate set of tooling and two shipsets of parts, which will then be assembled into complete aircraft.
Alberta Aerospace requires around $10 million to complete the certification programme. "We hope to raise funding by taking the company public this quarter. The response to our pre-initial public offering has been good," says president Raymond Johnson.
The year-long flight verification phase is set to begin later this year, with certification due 12 months later. "We hope to be able to deliver the first aircraft shortly after."
The high-performance Phoenix FanJet, designed by Stelio Frati, will be available in two variants, both powered by the Williams Rolls FJ44 turbofan. The SigmaJet will be the first to enter the market, targeted at training schools. The $1.57 million unpressurised aircraft offers a maximum cruising speed of 311kt (575km/h) and a range of over 1,320km (715nm). Johnson adds: "Three large airlines have expressed an interest in the SigmaJet as an ab initio trainer."
Source: Flight International
