Cirrus Aircraft is planning to launch serial production of its new Vision SF50 personal jet in late 2015, leading to first deliveries later that year.
The China Aviation Industry General Aircraft-owned company is now focussing on the flight test programme of the seven-seat, single engined aircraft.
Pat Waddick, president and chief executive officer of the Duluth, Minnesota-based airframer says construction of the first production-conforming prototype - will be begin later this year. The aircraft - dubbed C-0 - will be used for flight-performance verification. If all goes well, Waddick says the aircraft could make its maiden sortie by February or March 2014. An earlier configuration "technology demonstrator" has completed more than 600 flying hours since it was built in 2008, but the new prototype is much more reflective of the production jet, Waddick says.
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The second conforming prototype, C-1, will be used for system development and the third, C-2, will be used for reliability trials, he adds.
As the company starts assembling these test articles, it will also gain the tooling required to support serial production, he adds.
Initially, Cirrus will deliver the Williams International FJ33-powered jets at a rate of 50-75 per year, eventually rising to around 150 aircraft. The company has secured over 500 orders to date for the $1.96 million, Garmin G3000-equipped SF50.
Source: Flight International
