Business & GA

Williams International is to develop an uprated version of its FJ33 small turbofan to power Cirrus Design's single-engined personal jet. The 1,900lb-thrust (8.5kN) FJ33-4A-19 will be ready for delivery in 2010, says Williams, although Cirrus has yet to reveal its timetable for "the jet", as it is known (Flight International, 17-23 October).

The engine is a development of the 1,570lb-thrust FJ33-4A-15 powering the single-engined Diamond D-Jet, incorporating aerodynamic improvements from the larger FJ44-3/4 family. The engine will be certificated by the end of 2008, Williams says.

Cirrus remains tight-lipped about its first jet, revealing only that it is single-engined and pressurised, will cruise at 25,000ft (7,600m) and exceed 300kt (555km/h), and have retractable gear and an airframe parachute. The all-composite aircraft will have a larger cabin than the company's SR20/22 piston singles.

A silhouette displayed at last week's NBAA convention showed an aircraft with a straight wing, similar to the SR22's, coupled with a swept tail. Cirrus says its goal is to enable a pilot flying the SR22 to make an easy transition to the jet. Price has not been revealed, but will be "sub-$1 million", says Cirrus.