Farnborough Aircraft has delayed development of the F1 five-seat, single-engine turboprop by around a year, due to a lack of investment and manpower.
A detailed review of the design, previously set for September, has been pushed back by 12 months, while critical design review is not planned until September 2003. The company admits it also needs to double its workforce to about 100 by the beginning of next year.
A recent "substantial" donation from a private individual, however, has boosted the UK company's fortunes. Farnborough Aircraft chief executive Richard Noble says: "This largest single investment will take us on to a level of stability and will fund the programme for the next 12 months."
The FI programme has been mainly funded through donations, averaging around £4,000 ($5,840) each, through the company-sponsored website. Noble says, however, that other initiatives need to be considered.
Noble is also talking to subcontractors who, he says, have expressed an interest in working on the F1. An announcement is expected soon. Pratt & Whitney Canada has committed to providing three PT6A turboprop engines, on an "at risk" basis, and composite material for two airframes is also being provided free.
Intended to compete against established single turboprop designs like the New Piper Meridian and the EADS Socata TBM700, the aircraft is now not expected to fly before late 2004. Deliveries are due to start by late 2006 following European Joint Airworthiness Requirement 135 and US Federal Aviation Regulation 135 certification.
The company is looking for 500 orders for the $2 million aircraft before first flight, although only two delivery positions have been reserved to date with $12,000 refundable deposits.
Farnborough Aircraft.com forecasts a market for 19,000 single-pilot, single-engine instrument flight rules machines, enough to carry 5% of the domestic public-transport business traffic in North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific and the southwest Pacific.
Source: Flight International
