More than 15 years after the original SJ30 first flew, and nine years after the redesigned SJ30-2 took to the air, Sino Swearingen Aircraft’s (SSAC) all-new light jet received US certification on the cusp of the NBAA show.
The Williams FJ44-2A-powered SJ30-2 has been approved for day/night visual and instrument flight rules and single-pilot operations without performance restrictions, says San Antonio, Texas-based SSAC. Outstanding approvals, including flight into known icing and certification of the cabin interior, will be obtained before customer deliveries begin in the first quarter of next year, the company says.
Certification involved four aircraft, one of which was lost in a fatal crash, and more than 2,100h of flying. Final performance figures include a direct climb to 43,000ft (13,100m) at maximum take-off weight, a ceiling of 49,000ft with a sea-level cabin altitude, maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.83, unrefuelled range of 4,600km (2,500nm) and approach reference speeds as low as 105kt (195km/h).
Taiwan-backed SSAC will announce new sales figures for the $5.5 million light jet at the show, and says all orders are secured by non-refundable deposits and a non-transferrable. The first production aircraft is being completed at San Antonio, and others are in various stages of fabrication at the company’s Martinsburg, West Virginia plant.
Source: Flight International
