The company is shifting now from development mode to manufacturing mode, Adam said. That means adding staff and working to fill orders. The company is ready to build about one airplane a month, but it has the capacity now to build up to six a month. Orders are in for 71 airplanes. Development is continuing with the A700 twinjet, Adam said, and the prototype now has logged 259 hours. They are working with the FAA to develop a certification plan for the jet, and once that’s done, they can start to work through it. They are hoping for certification in 2006. Adam has 50 orders for the jet. “We now have a track record and have built relationships with the FAA,” Walker said, which he hopes will hasten the certification process. And two-thirds of the parts in the A700 are parts already certified for the A500.
…As A700 Jet Follows Along
Key Takeaways:
- The company is transitioning from development to manufacturing, with current capacity to build one airplane per month and plans to expand to six per month.
- They have secured 71 orders for their existing aircraft (likely A500) and 50 orders specifically for the A700 twinjet.
- Development of the A700 twinjet is progressing with 259 prototype flight hours, and the company is pursuing FAA certification by 2006, leveraging existing FAA relationships and certified A500 parts.
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