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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0895.PDF
Chichester Miles spots new market for Leopard Six jet KATE SARSFIELD/LONDON CHICHESTER MILES (CMC) has launched a six seat variant of die Leopard jet, designed around the Williams FJ 3 3 -1 turbo- fan, and is seeking $95 million to fund die programme. The decision to pursue die twin- engined Leopard Six has essentially been forced on die UK company following Williams' decision last year to tie up an exclusive deal for its lighter FJX-2 turbofan, since renamed die EJ-22, to Eclipse Aviation to power its six-seat, low cost, entry level jet. The NASA- sponsored powerplant is not expected to be available to odier customers until at least 2005. CMC admits development of die four-seat Leopard will continue on a piecemeal basis widi die second prototype being deployed as a sub- scale research model. Ian Chichester Miles, CMC chairman and chief executive admits: "Since Williams wididrew its engine we have spent die best part of die year deciding what our options are. We decided diere is as yet no alternative to die [7701b- thrust (3.4kN)] EJ-22 and rather CMC Leopard Six dian wait for diis or any odier engine to become available we should adapt the design to fit the [l,5001b-thrust] Williams FJ33 which could be certificated by next year. A four-seat aircraft will remain part of our programme." The FJ33 will also power Century Aerospace's CA-100 and Aerostar Aircraft's FJ-100, both schedule* to enter service in late 2003. Subject to investment die Leopard Six is slated for certifica tion in 2004. The all-composite aircraft will be 2 5 % larger than its Leopard sta- blemate. Priced at $2.35 million, die Leopard Six will seat four pas sengers in a cabin measuring 2.5m (8.25ft) in lengdi, 1.2m height and 1.5m widdi. It will provide a long range cruise speed of 430kt (800km/h), a range widi full pay- load of 3,700km (2,000nm) and a maximum altitude of 51,000ft. The aircraft will incorporate "advanced" Fowler flaps to meet die targeted 2,500ft landing distance. • Tomkins sale boosts Chauffair jet fleet CHAUFFAIR HAS acquired die four business jets it had leased from UK conglomerate Tomkins. This marks "the final curtain for die ownership of corpo rate jets by public companies, which are now opting to lease time in aircraft," says die Farnborough, UK-based charter and fractional leasing company. The three Raytheon Hawker 700/800s and a Cessna Citation V will be joined by seven Citation Excels to BVphased in from August. Chauffair recently joined widi Flight Options, allowing die US fractional to offer its programme in Europe to US customers. • Murphy gauges kitplane interest TWO NEW KITPLANES at opposite ends of die weight spectrum will be introduced by Canada's Murphy Aircraft at next month's Sun 'n' Fun show in Lakeland, Florida. The SR3500 is an increased gross-weight version of the §aper Rebel bushplane, redesigned for a more powerful Romanian radial engine. TheJDM-8, meanwhile, is a single-seat ultralight. Murphy plans to fly the proto type SR3500 on 1 April. The all- metal, high-wing aircraft has a 1,590kg (3,5001b) gross weight, 230kg more than the SR2500 Super Rebel. The airframe has been strengthened for a 270kW (360hp) Aerostar M-14P radial in place of a 185kW Textron Lycoming O-540. Excluding engine, the SR3500 kit costs $27,000 - $2,000 more than the SR2500. Murphy does not expect to fly die prototype JDM-8 before Sun 'n' Eun. The company has been struggling to meet the 115kg empty weight limit for US ultra light approval. With the USA working on sport- aircraft rules that will create a new category of heavier two-seat aircraft, Sun 'n' Fun will be used to gauge interest in an ultralight like theJDM-8, a metal-and-fabric sin gle-seater with low, folding wing.Q NEWS IN BRIEF • PHOENIX RISES New company PhoenixAero, which agreed to purchase the assets of bankrupt Stoddard- Hamilton Aircraft, plans to close the deal and begin oper ations on 1 April. Initially, the company will re-establish support for builders of Glasair kitplanes. No deci sion has been taken on whether to keep or sell rights to the GlaStar. • COPTER APPROVAL Sikorsky has named Finland's Copterline an authorised S-76 maintenance centre for European operators. Malmi- based Copterline operates a scheduled S-76 passenger service between Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia, and has signed a letter of intent to acquire two S-92s for passen ger use in 2003-4. • TBM DISTRIBUTOR NAMED EADS-Socata has named Groton, Connecticut-based Columbia Aircraft Sales as a distributor for the single-tur boprop TBM 700 in the north east USA. Columbia has ordered 13 TBM 700s, for delivery beginning in the second quarter. • SUPER PUMAS CHC Helicopters (Australia) is to operate a dedicated Eurocopter AS322L1 Super Puma for Newfield Exploration Australia under a contract potentially worth C$21 million ($13.7 million) over four years. Based on Troughton Island, west of Darwin, the dedicated Super Puma replaces a pool aircraft. • INTERACTIVE LAUNCH The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and Air Safety Foundation have introduced an online runway safety course to combat gen eral aviation runway incur sions. The free interactive course is available at www.aopa.org/asf7runway- safety. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20 - 26 March 2001 31
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