Adam Aircraft Gives Itself Great Valentine's Day Present

Adam Aircraft flew maiden flight of its A500 aircraft, production-002, on Thursday. This is the second A500 built with production tooling. The initial flight of A500-002 (top two photos) took place at Centennial airport in Englewood (CO) on Thursday morning, February 13. The flight lasted approximately 35 minutes and reached an altitude of 13,000 feet. The company says, "The test pilot reported delight with the performance and handling of the aircraft."

The company has cleared several large hurdles to bring this airplane into the air; and, considering the vagaries of test flight and early production, its appearance, just a couple months behind earliest predictions, is quite a feat. Each airplane gets closer to the 'real' production model -- manufacturing methods are refined, and each machine gets closer to design weight, while incorporating changes dictated by customer inputs and experience on earlier aircraft.

Mind you, ANN continues to hear reports of problems with this program, ranging from Test Pilots and senior officials walking out (or being "let go") after voicing safety concerns, to financing and management issues.

Adam Aircraft began developing the A500 in 1998. Initial flight-testing of the proof of concept (POC) aircraft began in 2000. The Adam POC flew for more than 300 flight hours, and produced valuable test data on handling, longitudinal stability, flight controls, and engine performance. This testing also demonstrated the safety of inline thrust with no critical (or VMC) engine problems. The POC was taken to many air shows, such as Oshkosh, to get customer feedback. As a result of strong customer demand, Adam made the decision to put the pressurized twin into production.

A500-001 (below) took its first flight July 11, 2002, and has flown 122 hours over 62 flights. To date, flight-testing has confirmed that the company meets FAA requirements for stall  characteristics and single-engine handling and climb. Adam expects that all of its published performance numbers, such as 250 kt top speed, will be met. Initial pilot reports are that the aircraft is high performance, yet comfortable and fun to fly. Pilots, particularly, have commented on the feeling of great stability on takeoff and landing.

A500-002 will continue the company’s flight-testing program. It will test the environmental control system(ECS) and pressurization. Engine cooling will be refined, and the center of gravity (CG) envelope will be modestly expanded.  Additional takeoff and landing performance and distance numbers will be documented. Along with tests conducted with A500-003, the company expects to conclude flight-testing by mid year 2003.

Dennis Olcott, co-head of Engineering and Head of Flight Test, commented, "Our team has worked hard over the last six months to refine our manufacturing techniques. We are extremely pleased with the way A500-002 came together, and gratified by the positive comments from the test pilots."

Adam has approximately 100 direct orders, options, and dealer commitments for the A500 aircraft. The company also has announced the A700 light business jet, which it expects to finish in 2004.

FMI: www.adamaircraft.com