TC Issued For The A500 Centerline Twin

According to officials from Adam Aircraft, the FAA has finally issued a belated Type Certificate (TC) to Adam Aircraft for the A500 Centerline Twin.

"We are very pleased for our team who worked so hard for this TC," said Adam Aircraft Chairman and CEO Rick Adam. "I am also very happy for our customers who will be able to pilot their A500s soon. Working with the FAA, we have produced a next-generation twin that meets or exceeds the highest safety and regulatory standards."

ANN is not quite sure as to how much the A500 may have yet exceeded the aforementioned standards... in that Adam officials have confirmed that this much-promised and much-delayed first TC is quite limited in scope -- Day VFR only, and for operations below 12,500 feet. This leaves potential purchasers with a very limited airframe, if they elect to take delivery under these circumstances. It also leaves Adam with a massive amount of work ahead before they can certify and produce a solid IFR capable twin capable of dealing with the normal mission requirements that this market segment demands. Adam officials have confirmed that none of their customers is yet taking delivery of the A500 in this limited configuration.

According to Adam, the A500 is constructed of high-performance Toray carbon fiber material, producing an extremely strong and aerodynamically efficient airframe. The centerline configuration for the twin Teledyne Continental TSIO-550 powerplants provides the reliability of two engines without compromising single-engine stability. Inside the cabin, pilots and passengers will experience many of the latest technological advancements such as seats rated to 26Gs, side-stick controls, airbags at the crew stations, and a flight deck with large Avidyne flat screen displays and Garmin nav/com systems. As passengers step up from the air stair door of the A500 into the club-seating configuration in the cabin, they will appreciate the wide aisle for ease of movement and the largest cabin in its class.

The first major production milestone for the A500 was announced in October 2004, with the rollout of S/N 004, the first customer aircraft. Since that time, five other customer aircraft have been added to the production process. Facilities in Englewood and Pueblo, Colorado and Ogden, Utah will contribute to a capacity ramp-up goal of six aircraft per month, during which time the Production Certification is expected.

Adam notes that the the Type Certificate for the A500 "will be upgraded to final performance and specifications concurrent with volume deliveries that begin in the third quarter of 2005."

Final performance numbers will include a 230-knot cruise speed, more than a 1,000 nm NBAA IFR range at 75% power, and a cabin altitude of 8,000 ft. at a maximum aircraft operating altitude of 25,000 ft.

FMI: www.adamaircraft.com