716 Gets Name From 0.7 Mach Cruise (402 Kt), Single Engine, And Six-Seats

By Rex J Alexander

At AirVenture 2021, Carsten Sundin, president of Stratus Aircraft, introduced their company's latest venture into the light jet market, the Stratus 716X. The 716X is an experimental kit-built version of their future FAR Part 23/EASA CS 23 certified Stratos 716.

The 716 gets its name from its 0.7 Mach cruising speed (402 knots), its single turbofan engine, and its six-seat capacity cabin. With a range of 1,500 nautical miles at a cruising altitude of 41,000 feet, the 716 is capable of flying far above most of the clouds, weather and turbulence that turboprop aircraft have to contend with. These performance margins make a trip across the U.S. possible in less than seven hours with only one fuel stop being required. Which comes in at an estimated cost of 6% over an entry level turbo prop.

The 716X kit comes complete with a freshly, overhauled, 3,600-hour TBO PWC JT15D5 turbofan and a full suite of G3X avionics and can be ready to fly in as little as 9 months, using Stratos' builder-assist affiliate firms.

While performance is always a great thing, Stratos also sports some very impressive numbers regarding enhanced creature comforts in room and size. The 716, which is based on the original 714 test bed, has increased length and cabin size all while dropping 400 pounds in weight.

Starting in 2022, the company's expectation is to produce 10-12 716X aircraft kits over the next few years in so doing they plan to use it as a steppingstone towards producing their certified version. This will allow them to refine the manufacturing process and assembly line efficiencies that will be needed for high-rate production of the certified aircraft in the future.

Stratos is a Redmond, Oregon, composite aircraft manufacture having the long-term goal of building the most affordable, certified personal jet aircraft. The firm is located in Central Oregon, a region that has become a center of excellence for manufacturing certified general aviation aircraft, including the Lancair Columbia series and the Epic E1000.

FMI: www.stratosaircraft.com