Pre-production prototype under construction features ballistic parachute system, removable wings and low stall speed
US start-up manufacturer Excel Jet is developing a five-seat single-engined very light jet, believed to the first to incorporate a ballistic parachute system.
The pre-production prototype Sport Jet is under construction and is scheduled for first flight in the second half of the year, aiming for US certification in 2006. The Monument, Colorado-based manufacturer is also developing a two-seat reconnaissance version of the Sport Jet in parallel.
Bob Bornhofen, Excel Jet president and designer of the Maverick twinjet kitplane, says from the earliest stages of development the company has been working with insurance firms "to make sure they understand and accept our design approach". As well as the ballistic parachute system, the Sport Jet has removable wings and a low stall speed of 68kt (125km/h) "for increased safety margins and approach speeds familiar to pilots of high-performance piston singles". The single-engine design is favoured by insurance companies, Bornhofen claims, as "it has fewer systems and is less complex to operate than similar twin designs".
The flying surfaces of the Sport Jet are metal, while the fuselage is constructed from carbonfibre composite, he adds. Excel Jet is evaluating two engines, the Williams FJ33 and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615 rated at 1,300-1,500lb thrust (5.8-6.7kN). Selection will be made before the Experimental Aircraft Association's Airventure show in July, where Excel Jet is to launch its sales and marketing effort. "We will announce the avionics supplier in the next few weeks," Bornhofen says.
The Sport Jet is priced at under $1 million and offers a range of 1,850km (1,000nm) and cruise speed of 340kt at 25,000ft.
KATE SARSFIELD / LONDON
Source: Flight International
