Adam Flies First Conforming A700

Adam Aircraft announced on Monday the first flight of its first FAA-conforming A700 AdamJet, Serial Number 002. The jet took off smoothly and stayed in the pattern for a 34-minute flight at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colo. "The aircraft handled very well, stability was excellent, and the flight controls were very responsive and predictable," said test pilot Ken Sasine. "The throttle response was smooth and strong, and the climb performance was strong and steady. The airplane handled just as we expected." The jet's Williams FJ-33 engines are already FAA-certified, and CEO Rick Adam hopes that the 65-percent commonality with his FAA-certified piston twin A500 will significantly reduce time to certification. SN002 was constructed from production tooling, featuring a production fuselage with improved cabin window and emergency exit placement, with the balance of the aircraft manufactured from A500 production parts, Adam said. The prototype jet, SN001, has been flying since July 2003 and had logged over 400 hours. More than 250 A700s have been sold to owners/operators, fleet operators and air taxi companies, Adam says. Two more production copies will join SN002 for the FAA flight test program.