Airplane Manufacturer Starter Kit: Type Certification, Tooling, James Bond Notoriety

Appearing in the movie “You Only Live Twice”, James Bond is restrained in the back seat of a Meyers 200 airplane as the pilot villainess sets the plane on fire before bailing out. Mr. Bond, of course, escapes and lands the smoking, spiraling plane just before incineration. While that airplane is history, the FAA certification and manufacturing assets to build the Meyers 200 live on. In fact, they’re now listed for sale.

Although the speedy, 4-seat, general aviation plane is no longer in production, it offers a fast-track to the buyer wishing to enter the market with a minimum of FAA certification hurdles, which today can easily approach $100 million.

The plane would be an ideal FAA-certified platform for high-tech firms to deploy new, disruptive technologies. Since the plane is already certified, only the specific change must be tested and certified via STC, a process that is generally much less onerous, time consuming and costly than full-blown FAA type certification of an all-new product.

Yet another buyer might be intrigued by the opportunity to participate in the fast-growing pilot trainer market. According to Boeing, the pilot shortage is one of the biggest challenges facing the airlines and 800,000 new pilots are needed over the next 20 years. The impact on the sales of training aircraft by small airplane manufacturers have recently been notable with fleet sales notched by Piper, Cessna and others. The Meyers 200 is unique in that it offers experience with retractable gear as well as higher horsepower, making it a complex, high performance aircraft.

Owned by Interceptor Aviation, the package is being marketed by AvStrategies, the investment services arm of Brian Foley Associates (BRiFO). AvStrategies has been matching aviation investors with great businesses since 2006. The sale will include the Type Certificate, drawings, jigs, tooling and more. The items are stored near Wichita, KS, with the documents and drawings literally stored in a salt mine for ideal preservation.

The sale includes the TC for the pressurized, single-engine turboprop Interceptor I-400 along with the actual airplane, as well as a Meyers 200 parts plane.

(Image provided with AvStrategies news release)

FMI: www.AvStrategies.com