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.
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