Stratos 714 jet performs as expected in tests
The Stratos 714, a single-engine personal jet that launched on a brief first test flight in November 2016, now has logged 33 flights totaling 52 hours and has “performed as expected,” according to Redmond, Oregon-based Stratos Aircraft.
Stratos Aircraft said the very light jet has been flown at weights to 8,300 pounds, across a range of center-of-gravity positions, at true airspeeds to 320 knots, and as high as 17,000 feet msl.
After the first phase of testing, the FAA removed initial flight limitations, allowing Stratos Aircraft to pursue more advanced research and development, “along with marketing survey activity.”
“We are extremely pleased with the progress we’ve made up to this point,” said Stratos Aircraft CEO Michael Lemaire. “We haven’t encountered anything that would require a major change in the design.”
Stratos Aircraft plans to display the four-to-six-seat, 400-knot, 1,500-mile-range airplane in July at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Flight testing will continue before the aircraft is displayed again in October at the National Business Aviation Association’s Convention and Exhibition in Las Vegas.
The company will not take deposits on the jet until the aircraft is closer to being certified. Meanwhile, Stratos Aircraft said it is noting “expressions of interest.”
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