SAN ANTONIO, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation
(SSAC) announced today the completion of another major milestone for the SJ30
business jet. The final flight test in actual icing conditions was completed
on March 1, 2006 in Provo, Utah. This testing consisted of the FAA
requirement to complete a 45-minute hold in actual maximum continuous icing
conditions, and was completed by Test Pilots Mark Fairchild, John Siemens, and
Flight Test Engineer Schuyler Horn.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060306/LAM080 )
On October 27th, 2005, the company announced that it had received FAA Type
Certification for the SJ30, and that two tests remained before the initial
delivery to a customer. The two remaining tests were for the approval for
flight into known icing and the approval of the aircraft's interior.
DER Test Pilot John Siemens said "The airplane performed remarkably well
in the extreme icing conditions we encountered. It is also my opinion that
the SJ30 performed better in the ice than any other airplane I have previously
certified for flight in known icing conditions."
The SJ30 is equipped with electrically heated windshields and uses engine
bleed air heat to anti-ice the wings and engines. Pneumatic boots are used to
de-ice the horizontal tail. The approval flight involved 50 minutes of
maximum continuous icing conditions and more than another hour of intermittent
icing conditions, which resulted in a build up of over 4 inches of ice on
unprotected areas of the aircraft. Siemens noted, "The flight characteristics
and handling qualities were very good with this residual ice accumulation. In
the post flight debriefing, the flight test crew all agreed that the SJ30 is
one of the safest airplanes on the market today when it comes to flying in
icing conditions."
Earlier in February, test pilot John Siemens and other members of the
flight test crew completed artificial ice shapes testing at Roswell, NM. This
testing is required to demonstrate aircraft handling characteristics,
including stability, control, and stall characteristics, with simulated ice
attached to the airframe, replicating what would accumulate on unprotected
surfaces during flight in a 45-minute maximum continuous ice encounter.
SSAC's SJ30 business jet is a high performance jet aircraft with a range
of over 2,500 nautical miles (2,875 statute miles) and the highest cruise
speed in the light jet industry of Mach .83 (486 knots or 560 mph). This
single pilot certified jet operates at altitudes to 49,000 feet and can
maintain a sea level cabin at an aircraft altitude of 41,000 feet, made
possible by the use of industry leading 12 psi cabin pressurization system.
SSAC is positioned to produce a family of cost efficient, high performance,
high quality business jets. Additional information, updates, 360 virtual tour
views, photos and specifications are available at http://www.SJ30Jet.com .
High quality photos of the aircraft in flight are available on our website
http://www.SJ30Jet.com
SOURCE Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.SJ30Jet.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060306/LAM080
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Robert Kromer of Sino Swearingen Aircraft
Corporation, +1-210-258-3900, or fax, +1-210-258-8687,
bkromer@sj30jet.com
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