30 June 2008
Cirrus has rolled out its ‘the-jet’, the latest arrival in the VLJ – Very Light Jet – market.
The-jet was first announced a year ago and according to the company construction is now complete, and the airframe (named ‘V1’) is ‘nearly ready to taxi’. The flight team, says Cirrus, is approaching ‘the impending flight schedule with the same careful diligence and thoughtful planning as they have from the onset of the program.’
It is believed that ‘the-jet’ will not be the final name for the aircraft, which is potentially a seven-seater, although it’s more likely to be used as a five-seater. In a rather interesting PR twist, Cirrus once described the-jet as the ‘lowest, slowest and cheapest jet available.’ It is to be powered by a single Williams FJ33-4A-19 engine and is expected to make 300 knots at FL 250. It is to equipped, like most Cirrus aircraft, with a parachute.
At the start of the build process, Cirrus set out its philosophy that the-jet should be ‘simple to fly and operate in a variety of new and formerly challenging environments.’
