Mon, May 02, 2011
Piper Aircraft's Single-Engine Altaire Jet Mockup Along With A
Dozen Other Aircraft Will Be On Display
Piper Aircraft's single-engine Altaire jet mockup, along with a
dozen other aircraft, will be on display at the Great Plains Air
Expo May 11 at America Jet at KSLN from 1000 to 1800 local time.
The mockup of the high performance very light business jet has been
making its way around North America. By the end of the year, it
will have stopped in 16 states and Canada.
"We are pleased to see a major airplane
manufacturer like Piper Aircraft bring its newest product to the
Salina Airport. It is further recognition of our area's important
role in the aviation marketplace," said Tim Rogers, A.A.E.,
executive director of the Salina Airport Authority. Other aircraft
expected to be on site include a Diamond DA42, Quest Kodiak, Cessna
Corvalis TT, Beechcraft King Air C90 and more.
The Great Plains Air Expo is an opportunity to see numerous
aircraft manufacturers and vendors in one location. A wide
selection of aircraft will be on hand for viewing and staff will be
available to assist prospective buyers with selecting an aircraft
that meets their needs.
Piper has committed 175 engineering personnel to the jet program.
Detailed design drawings are being released at the scheduled pace
and top-level assembly drawings are in progress. First production
parts for the first of four conforming articles have been produced
and the company is on schedule for first flight of conforming
articles in 2012. The company has selected all Tier 1 vendors,
including Hampson/GTS, which has resident tool designers on site
and will be delivering tools over the next 12 months. Renovation
for the future Altaire production facility will be complete by this
summer. The building will be tooled and ready for aircraft
production during 2012. Construction of the static test rig for FAA
structural testing requirements has begun and will be complete this
year.
Price point for the Piper Altaire is $2.5 million, with a
typically equipped aircraft priced at $2.6 million. Piper estimates
that the Altaire will cost an average of 25 percent less to operate
per hour than comparable production very light jets. The round
fuselage and new wing provide all the performance and cabin
improvements of a clean sheet aircraft coupled with the proven
reliability of Piper's manufacturing techniques honed over the
decades with the company's lineup of airplanes, including M-class
aircraft - the Meridian, Malibu and Matrix.
Piper is targeting a 1,300nm maximum range for the aircraft with a
maximum cruise speed planned at 360 knots. The airplane is planned
to fly 1,200 nautical miles with a payload of 800 pounds.
Certification and first customer deliveries are planned for 2014.
The airplane is equipped with an integrated flight deck. It
features Garmin G3000 avionics complete with the first touch
screen-controlled glass panel designed for light turbine aircraft,
three displays, two touch screens and a GFC 700 automatic flight
control system. The improved aircraft will also have crew seats
that are easy to access and an ergodynamic interface between pilot
and avionics.
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