Sino Swearingen has installed the assembly mate tool for the SJ30-2 business jet. The tool is the precision fixture where the SJ30-factory 2 wings and fuselage will be attached. The empennage will be joined to the aircraft in the mate jig, which will initially be used to assemble three SJ30-2s for certification flight testing, as well as two airframes - one static and one fatigue. The tool will then be relocated to Sino's production base in Martinsburg, Virginia, USA. The manufacturer has 140 orders for the seven-seat SJ30, which is scheduled for certification in late 2000.
Source: Flight International