By Kate Sarsfield in London
Diamond Aircraft has expanded the flight envelope of the D-Jet five-seat very light jet following flight tests last month at its Canadian plant in London, Ontario.
The single-engined jet’s speed and altitude envelope was “progressively expanded” from the 170kt (315km/h) and 12,000ft (3,640m) recorded during the first flight in April, says Diamond chief executive Christian Dries, who co-piloted the aircraft. “Cruise speed climbed to over 280kt and altitude to the design certification limit of 25,000ft,” Dries says.
The flight-test aircraft equipped with the Williams International FJ33 engine and a mock-up of the interior will be on display at the AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin later this month. US certification of the $1 million aircraft is scheduled for the first quarter of 2008.
Source: Flight International
