Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp.’s (SSAC’s) new SJ30-2 twinjet has overcome yet another of the FAA’s testing hurdles. The aircraft is one step closer to FAA certification after the first flight of the third and final conformed flight-test aircraft. Afterward, SJ30-2 serial number 0005 joined S/N 0004 and 0003 in the company history. SSAC sources say the aircraft are flying aggressively as often as seven days per week. One of the planes is being used for systems testing, one for aerodynamics and performance, the third for function and reliability. Some days all three airplanes are in the sky together. SSAC has completed all the critical high-speed FAA flight testing and is predicting FAA certification in the second half of this year. S/N 0005 was the first SJ30-2 built using major production tooling and the same personnel who worked on her will be producing future aircraft. The jet is touted as having one of the fastest cruise speeds in the industry, 560 mph, and can operate at altitudes up to FL490.
