“New” Adam 500 In The Works

The new owner of assets of Adam Aircraft says he intends to certify an improved version of the A500 push/pull piston twin rather than resume manufacturing the aircraft under its existing certification. Thomas Hsueh, owner of Triton Aerospace, of Anacortes, Wash., told the Skagit Valley Herald he's not satisfied with the aircraft as it was certified and the new aircraft, as yet unnamed, will weigh 800 to 1,000 pounds less than the original. Hsueh said he's not happy about the recertification plan but it's the only alternative to get the airplane he wants and one he's sure has a "pent-up demand."

Hsueh said he's getting to work on the new aircraft immediately and hopes to have a flying prototype in six months. Among the items that came with the sale of assets is the full computerized design suite and all the associated intellectual property, so he's not starting at square one. He said the weight savings will come from "proper engineering," which he did not elaborate on. The goal is what Adam originally intended with the A500. "Well, I'm going to produce an airplane that, when it says six seats, you can carry six people and still go a decent distance," Hsueh said. Hsueh also has two disassembled A700 jets but they're likely to stay in mothballs for the foreseeable future if not indefinitely. "Right now I have no plans to continue them. So I'll just preserve them some place and decide what to do with [them]," he said.