Piper Aircraft reported that its revolutionary PiperJet — the first pure, jet-powered, turbofan design in the company's 71-year history — made its first flight July 31st, from Piper Headquarters in Vero Beach, Fla. The PiperJet flew for one hour, reaching a maximum altitude of 10,500 feet and a speed of 160 KTAS as per the flight test plan.
The PiperJet is powered by a single Williams FJ44-3AP engine rated at 3,000 pounds of thrust. In the PiperJet application, the engine is de-rated to approximately 2,400 pounds of thrust. Piper also has selected Garmin International, Inc. to provide the state-of-the art avionics suite for the PiperJet, with navigation, situational awareness and system information delivered through state-of-the art technologies.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2011.
