Lancair has delayed certification of the Columbia 400 turbocharged piston single to February next year following the loss of the original prototype. The first prototype, refitted with the aerodynamic modifications, is expected to fly this week.
The first production Columbia 400 will replace the conforming prototype, destroyed in a non-fatal accident on 27 August when the spin-recovery parachute could not be released. Customer deliveries, due to start this month, will now begin in April next year.
Deliveries of the Columbia 350, a more powerful version of the normally aspirated Columbia 300, have been put back to the end of this month.
Source: Flight International
