Sino Swearingen has selected an avionics suite for its twin-engined SJ30 business jet and has hiked the price by 20%, " based on the October 1998 US dollar".
The seven-seat SJ30 will now be equipped with the Honeywell-Primus Epic control display system with flat-panel displays and IC-615 integrated avionics computer as standard. According to the San Antonio-based manufacturer the IC-615 "-combines the functions of an advanced fail-passive autopilot, flight director, flight management system and display processor into a reliable lightweight unit".
The avionics suite will be incorporated into the aircraft's new $4.2 million list price. "We feel that it is time to increase the cost of the aircraft as we have been quoting a 1995 dollar rate for so long," says Sino Swearingen. The price will be "inflation adjusted" each October.
Meanwhile, Sino Swearingen's second structurally non-conforming prototype, the SJ30-2 has completed more than 150h of flight testing since the installation of the Williams-Rolls FJ44-2A engines in September 1997, and has reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.84, at an altitude of 43,000ft (13,100m).
Three conforming prototypes are to enter the 1,400h certification flight test programme in 1999 and certification and first deliveries are scheduled for the second quarter of 2000.
Sino Swearingen has won 135 orders for the SJ30, to be sold through its distributors. Three new US-based firms have been added to the line-up: Bell Aviation of Columbia, South Carolina; Vinci Aviation, of San Diego California and Business Aircraft Group of Cleveland, Ohio.
Source: Flight International
