Stratos Aircraft’s new light jet flew for the first time this month as the Oregon company launched its flight test series for the prototype. The Stratos 714 flew for about ten minutes from Redmond, reaching 128 knots and an altitude of 3,700 feet AGL. As marketed, the four-seat, single-engine jet will cater to owner-operators for business and personal travel, capable of cruise speeds exceeding 400 knots and a range of 1,500 nautical miles. It’s powered with a Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5 engine and Stratos has indicated it’s developing the 714 to will be competitive in operating costs and capabilities compared to small business jets and single-engine turboprops.
“After years of development, the first flight was a very exciting event for the whole team,” Stratos said in a statement Wednesday. “We invested the time and effort in the initial design and construction phases to assure that this proof of concept aircraft would ease the path to certification.”In response to inquiries abouta certification timeline and required capital to bring the jet to production, the company did not provide specifics, but said it “could shave off a considerable amount of certification time and start producing finished aircraft with additional investment.”Stratos, which first announced its very light jet project in 2008, said Wednesday it plans to introduce the prototype at EAA’s AirVenture show in July 2017.
