Raytheon Aircraft's Premier I may not be flying here at Farnborough, but it is hardly out of the air back home in Wichita, Kansas, as the company races toward certification of the innovative light business jet.
On Raytheon's original schedule, the first Premier Is should have been in customer hands by now, but delays have pushed back US certification, which is now expected by September a year later than originally planned.
Orders
The delays have not deterred customers, however, and the company is sitting on an order book for more than 240 aircraft. Raytheon has already pushed up planned production to 60 aircraft a year to recover the delays and meet demand, and may increase it again, says Premier I programme manager Duncan Koerbel.
"We are delivering what we promised five years ago great performance and a great cabin. Orders are coming in and we will start deliveries in the summer," Koerbel says.
The certification programme is now into its final stages, with three aircraft in flight test and a fourth expected to fly on the eve of the show. The fourth Premier I will be used for function and reliability testing, the final hurdle before certification.
The fourth aircraft will also be used for single-pilot certification, which Raytheon intends to have in place "from day one", says Koerbel. Normally, single-pilot approval comes later, but Raytheon wants to make the initial certification as all-inclusive as possible. The third Premier I, for example, is already being used to test the host of options Raytheon plans to offer, including enhanced ground proximity warning and traffic alert and collision avoidance systems.
Delivery
Despite the flight test delays, production has been proceeding apace, and Raytheon will be ready to deliver customer aircraft as soon as it has airworthiness approval. Around 30 fuselages have been produced using Raytheon's advanced Viper fibre-placement machine, which automatically rolls the composite material over a Premier-shaped mould. Around 20 all-metal wings have been produced, and the 10th aircraft is in final assembly.
Preparations for customer training are also well advanced, with the first Premier I simulator up and running at FlightSafety International's learning centre near the Raytheon plant. The first customers are due in two weeks before their aircraft are delivered and it looks like they are in for a treat.
Source: Flight Daily News
