Swearingen SJ30 Nearing Certification?
If all continues to go as well as the company is saying, San Antonio, Texas-based Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp. (SSAC) may soon have an FAA-certified bizjet on its hands. The company announced last month that the FAA had issued two additional Type Inspection Authorizations (TIAs) for the company’s SJ30-2 jet, which it hopes to finally certify before the end of 2005. The SSAC’s certification flight test program for the new jet presently has three conforming aircraft in flight-test operation, “flying day and night missions virtually every day,” according to the company. Of the three flying test articles, one aircraft is being used for testing systems development and certification, the second is for performance and aerodynamic certifications, while the third is testing the autopilot and avionics systems.
If all continues to go as well as the company is saying, San Antonio, Texas-based Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp. (SSAC) may soon have an FAA-certified bizjet on its hands. The company announced last month that the FAA had issued two additional Type Inspection Authorizations (TIAs) for the company's SJ30-2 jet, which it hopes to finally certify before the end of 2005. The SSAC's certification flight test program for the new jet presently has three conforming aircraft in flight-test operation, "flying day and night missions virtually every day," according to the company. Of the three flying test articles, one aircraft is being used for testing systems development and certification, the second is for performance and aerodynamic certifications, while the third is testing the autopilot and avionics systems. The first of the two new TIAs for SJ30-2 twinjet addresses FAA certification flight tests to be performed on anti-ice, de-ice and bleed air system. The SJ30-2's design calls for bleed air to de-ice the engine nacelles and wing leading edges while the tail uses conventional boots. Both windshields, plus the pitot/static and angle of attack probes, are electrically heated. The second TIA covers the environmental systems. Dr. Carl Chen , CEO and president of Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp., said today, This is excellent news and the entire company is excited as this milestone emphasizes our accelerated efforts to FAA certify the new SJ30-2 by the second half of this year. The SJ30-2 is designed for single-pilot operations, a 2,875-sm range and a high-cruise speed of Mach .83. Plans include certification to FL490 and a pressurization system producing a sea-level cabin to FL410.
