Adam Aircraft is finalising plans with the US state of Utah to begin production of the A500 piston twin in an expanded facility at the Ogden-Hinckley airport.
This location will later produce the A700 very light jet following planned certification of the Williams FJ-33-powered twin engine business aircraft later this year.
Utah recently proposed an incentive package to bring the new work to Odgen.
Adam says A500 serial number 16 will be the first aircraft assembled in the facility under a new process that has been perfected over the past year.
Adam, which certificated the pressurised, propeller-driven A500 in May 2005 and has delivered seven aircraft, halted production of the A500 to upgrade the manufacturing process to be used for both the A500 and A700.
The company plans to produce 150-240 A500s and A700s a year - mostly A700s - by the end of next year and deliver 1,000 of the all-composite aircraft within seven to 10 years. Target production rate is three aircraft a month for the A500 and 10 A700s a month around 2009.
Adam has more than doubled its workspace in the Ogden facility, from 2,044m² (22,000ft²) to 5,110m² (55,000ft²), and will boost the facility's workforce from 50 to as many as 1,200 within two years if production rate goals are achieved.
The company headquarters and flight-test centre will remain in Englewood, Colorado, and production of tail boom sections will continue in Pueblo, Colorado, says Adam.
Source: Flight International
