First Flight For Scaleds 2nd Model 401

Editorial Staff

Thursday, April 12, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Scaled Composites successfully flew the second prototype of its single-engine Model 401 jet, a rare occurrence for the rapid-prototyping company to build multiple identical aircraft.
The two experimental jets were developed to showcase Scaled Composites' advanced, low-cost manufacturing techniques for research aircraft to an unnamed industry or government customer.
Each Model 401 is equipped with a Pratt & Whitney JTD-15D-5D engine, enabling speeds up to Mach 0.6 and a service ceiling of 30,000 feet.

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Scaled Composites flew the second copy of its single-engine-jet, Model 401, for the first time, on Wednesday, the company has announced. “As a proof-of-concept, rapid-prototyping company, it is very rare when we get to build more than one of the same type of aircraft,” the company posted on Facebook. Scaled built two identical single-engine jets to demonstrate for an unnamed customer their “advanced, low-cost manufacturing techniques” for the production of research aircraft for industry and government, the company said. The first one flew in October.

The experimental aircraft are each equipped with a single Pratt & Whitney JTD-15D-5D engine, with 3,045 pounds of thrust, the company said. They can fly at speeds up to Mach 0.6 with a service ceiling of 30,000 feet, according to Scaled.