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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 2428.PDF
Businei I icri a I AviQtion FLIGHT Finalist Adam Aircraft Achievement Rollout of the M-309 Adam Aircraft's M-309 six-seat, all-composite, piston twin progressed from a concept to real ity in just seven months, culminating in the first flight in March 2000. The aircraft was the result of George Adam, founder and chief executive officer of the manufac turer, seeing a need for a modern twin-engine centreline thrust aircraft, incorporating safety, perfor mance and economic benefits. The programme's development started in early 1999 when Adam com missioned aircraft designer Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites to take the concept to a functional aircraft design. The proof-of-concept M-309 flew in March and was displayed at the AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in August. The aircraft clocked up more than 130h in flight tests during the year. In addition, the manufacturer built and opened a new 4,645m2 (50,000ft2) manufacturing and office facility adjacent to Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado, to construct and fabricate the carbon composite aircraft. The M-309 will have a 1,050kg (2,300lb) useful load and a maximum speed of 250kt (460km/h), it will cruise at 220kt and have an economy cruise of 190kt at 20,000ft. The aircraft, which will have a 2,775km (1,500nm) cruising range in fuel economy mode, has a 12.8m (42ft) wing span, is 10.5m long and 2.9m high. Its carbon fibre composite construction, which is designed to provide structural reliability, is corrosion and fatigue resistant, has lightweight strength and provides improved aerodynamics combined with sim ple assembly. The M-309's glass cockpit and single power-lever engines are designed specifically for ease of operation. In addition to Scaled Composites, the fast develop ment of the M-309 was made possible with assistance from Teledyne Continental, which is supplying the TSIO-550 engines, avionics manufacturer Garmin International and propeller supplier Hartzell. Adam Aircraft has started the certification process under US Federal Aviation Administration FAR Part 23 airworthi ness regulations, with completion planned by 2003. 4 '! FLIGHT Finalist Cessna Aircraft Achievement Certification and deliveries of the CJ1, CJ2 and Encore Last year was one of the busiest years in Cessna Aircraft's history with the manufacturer achieving certification and starting deliveries of three business jet models. The year saw the Cessna CJ1, CJ2 and Encore certificated within four months of each other- an unprecedented achievement in the business jet industry. "The company responded effectively to the increasing demand for business travel. Certification of the CJ1, CJ2 and Encore combined with the particular place that these models occupy within the business aviation marketplace are tributes to Cessna's excel lence as an engineering and service organisation," said one judge. The year started with certification of the entry level Citation CJ1 on 16 February, followed by first cus tomer deliveries the next month. A successor to the CitationJet, the CJ1 features a 90kg (200Tb) gross weight increase and Rockwell Collins' Pro Line 21, marking the first corporate aviation application of the avionics suite. Certification of the Encore followed on 26 April, with first deliveries in September. The Encore builds on the Citation Ultra, featuring aerodynamic and design enhancements to provide improved mission flexibility, comfort and maintainability. The aircraft is equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW535A engines, bleed-air anti- ice on the wing leading-edge, trailing link landing gear and wing tip extensions to improve performance. Cessna faced additional challenges with its third programme for the year, the CJ2, which was pro duced using an accelerated certification and development programme. The six-seat CJ2 is the first aircraft developed, manufactured and certificated using Cessna's integrated team concept whereby the expertise of all functional areas are utilised during the planning, development and manufacturing. The CJ2 was developed in response to customers requesting higher cruise speeds, more cabin room, greater range and the latest avionics. Full type certifi cation was received in June, with deliveries following at year-end. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL
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