Maverick Air has completed initial testing of wing ice protection for its six-seat Twinjet 1500 business kit-build aircraft, formally known as the Twinjet 1200. The wing section was tested in an icing windtunnel to stimulate in-flight icing conditions.
Penrose, Colorado-based Maverick began developing the Twinjet-1500 in 1997. It plans to begin flight testing the $250,000 derated General Electric T58-powered aircraft this month.
"Tooling is already in place and we have started building the aircraft," says Maverick owner and president Bob Bornhofen. The company plans to build and deliver 10 aircraft this year, increasing to about 50 in the second year.
Maverick also plans to build a certificated, factory-build variant of the Twinjet 1500, "as soon as a suitable engine becomes available". Bornhofen is eyeing the Williams FJX-2 as a possible powerplant for the $600,000 aircraft, which will be identical in appearance to its kit stablemate.
Source: Flight International
