Stratos 714 Will Carry Four 1,500 NM At 400 KTS, Company Says

There's a new manufacturer hoping to make inroads into the single-engine jet segment... and the company is touting the sort of performance numbers that have so far eluded other established companies. Stratos Aircraft says its Stratos 714 will fill a void in the light jet market by transporting four people and their baggage 1,500 nautical miles, at a speed of 400 knots.

Billed by the Bend, OR-based company as a "Very Light Personal Jet," the composite-bodied aircraft is to be powered by a centerline-thrust FADEC-controlled Williams FJ44-3AP turbofan producing 3,030 pounds of thrust at sea level... enough power to cruise at least 40 knots faster than other SEJs, at 41,000 feet.

Former Lancair chief engineer Carsten Sundin teamed with entrepreneur Michael Lamaire to found Stratos, and based the company in Bend to take advantage of a local workforce already skilled in composites manufacturing techniques. Both men believe their aircraft will appeal to current owners of piston aircraft looking to step up from the avgas-fueled segment, as well as owners of larger turbine-powered planes hoping to economize.

"The VLJ market is littered with a variety of concepts and designs that are all very good in their own right for operators with different needs," said Sundin, Chief Technical Officer. "However for performance-oriented pilots who simply don’t need more than four seats, the current field of VLJs just doesn’t make sense for one reason or another. Either the acquisition and operating costs of a larger -- and slower -- VLJ are too high, or the compromise between range and payload makes the aircraft impractical."

"In a nutshell," added CEO Lemaire, "Our objective is to design and manufacture an aircraft that is affordable to own and operate, is easy to master, and can carry enough fuel and baggage to make the 1,500 nautical mile range at 400 knots the true selling point and not simply two unrelated data points in a brochure."

The Stratos 714's sleek fuselage -- which looks a bit like a Diamond D-Jet that's been through a pasta maker -- is designed to provide ample room for four passengers and two external baggage compartments. The fuselage is to be mated to a laminar-flow wing designed to provide a balance between docile slow-speed handling, and efficient performance at higher speeds.

The company targets a Q1 2010 production date. Other details, including avionics, have yet to be announced. Stratos will exhibit during AirVenture 2008 in the East Exhibit Hangar E, at booth number 5020.

FMI: http://stratosaircraft.com/