Sino Swearingen Aircraft is to deliver early next month the first SJ30 light business jet, which will be used a demonstrator.
The handover of the aircraft to US businessman Douglas Jaffe is likely to coincide with the unveiling by the San Antonio-based airframer of a large investor, who will inject much-needed capital into the Taiwan-US partnership and pave the way for a production ramp-up and possibly a second production line in North America.
Mike Creed, managing director of Sino Swearingen's largest distributor Action Aviation, which is to take delivery of the second SJ30 in May, says the company has an "orderbook of 300 aircraft", and "prior to any money coming in, forecasts deliveries of up 17 aircraft this year, up to 30 in 2008 and around 60 in 2009. We would like to see production ramped up to around 100 in the third or fourth year of production."
Action Aviation, which covers 66 regions, has ordered 159 SJ30s, of which 35 have been sold and three are earmarked for delivery this year to Swiss and UK-based customers.
Meanwhile, Action Aviation has ordered 30 MD Helicopter types - 20 twin-engined Explorers, with the balance made up of single-engined models, the 600N, 520N, 530F and 500E.
The aircraft will be delivered over the next eight years. Creed says three Explorers on order have already been sold to VIP and utility operators in the Middle East, and will be handed over by early 2008.
Source: Flight International
