Page 21 - Flight International (January 2020)

BUSINESS AVIATION

DEVELOPMENT KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
Stratos starts 716 prototype assembly

Very light jet nears maiden flight, with first examples to be produced as kits before Part 23 certification campaign begins

tratos Aircraft has completed Stratos has sufficient funds to
Sload testing on its 716 very support 716X development, and
light jet (VLJ) and is currently to continue to make “incremental
assembling the first prototype of improvements” to the 716
the single-engined six-seater, design, Sundin says. “But the
which it hopes to fly in the capital required for the Part 23
second half of the year. version will be greater by an
“We are making good pro- order of magnitude,” he cautions.
gress,” confirms Stratos chief While structurally both aircraft
technology officer Carsten Sun- are identical, the 716X is
din. “99% of the parts for the test Stratos Aircraft powered by the same 2,900lb
aircraft are now built and (12.9kN)-thrust Pratt & Whitney
fuselage and wing mating is now Single-engined six-seater is derived from the proof-of-concept 714 Canada JT15D-5 engine as the
under way at our base in 714 and features a Garmin G3X
Redmond [Oregon].” testing programme late last year “refine” the product before it flightdeck. The certificated
Stratos hopes to begin ground covering the 716’s fuselage, embarks on the US Federal Avia- variant, however, will be
tests in the second quarter. horizontal and vertical fins, tion Administration FAR Part 23 powered by a 3,400lb-thrust
The 716 was launched in July landing gear and wing. type certification campaign. PW535E and will feature either
2018 as a longer and wider “We will begin high-speed taxi “We don’t have a specific G3000 or G5000 avionics.
version of the 714, which it testing in the next quarter, and number of 716Xs in mind,” says The company is also expand-
replaces. Stratos has continued when the aircraft is absolutely Sundin, “but it will be a small ing its manufacturing capability
flying the proof-of-concept 714 to ready it will make its first flight,” volume, and we will work with in Redmond, which currently
gather feedback for the current says Sundin. the owners to gather feedback on houses only a small amount of
model, and has logged over 330h Once flight testing is under the aircraft’s performance”. tooling. “We are going to build a
on the article to date. way, Stratos will open the 716 Stratos hopes this approach full manufacturing facility which
Sundin says the company is orderbook. will lower the development costs will allow us to increase aircraft
“taking its time” with the 716, so The first examples will be pro- for the 716 and help attract volume as demand increases,”
it can create an aircraft that is duced as kit aircraft and branded investors who will assist in says Sundin. A “realistic produc-
“problem free” from the start. as the 716X. This, Sundin says, bringing the certificated version tion forecast” is for between 30
Stratos completed a full load will allow the company to to market. and 50 716s per year, he adds. ■

DELIVERIES KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
‘Tough year’ triggers slip in shipments for Daher

eliveries of Daher’s TBM and While Daher has not provided markets for it, with intelligence, aircraft has largely been sold to
DKodiak single-engined air- a shipment breakdown, US mar- surveillance and reconnaissance charter and freight operators, as
craft families slipped slightly ket research company JetNet iQ and paragliding platforms being well as humanitarian organisa-
during 2019 following what it shows the introduction of the 940 considered. So far the unpressur- tions, for whom the Kodiak was
calls a “tough year in the entry- has eaten into the 910 market. ised, short take-off and landing originally designed. ■
level business aviation market”. Deliveries of the baseline
The French airframer and aero- model fell from 29 aircraft in
structures company shipped a 2018 to 10 units last year, while
combined 48 TBM 910s, 930s output for Daher’s top-of-the
and 940s last year, compared range TBMs – the 930 and 940 –
with 50 910s and 930s in 2018. almost doubled during the period
Daher introduced the 940 last from 21 to 38 aircraft.
March to replace its three-year- Shipments of the Kodiak 100
old 930. The aircraft, which slipped by three units in 2019 to
received European and US certi- 20. The high-wing utility aircraft
fications in May and September, was added to the line-up in Octo-
respectively, features an auto- ber, following the company’s
throttle, increased automation for acquisition of Quest Aircraft from
the de-icing system and a Japan’s Setouchi Holdings. Introduction of TBM 940 has
eroded sales of the baseline 910
redesigned interior. Daher is exploring new Daher
22 | Flight International | 28 January-3 February 2020 flightglobal.com