Hainan Zhong Hang Tai General Aviation Airlines, the Hainan, China-based operating entity of Ameritech Aerospace, has placed a firm order for 50 Adam Aircraft A700®Very Light Jets. Airline President Jason Fan cited the immediate charter and air taxi growth opportunities in China as well as the aircraft’s cabin space, the largest of all VLJs currently on offer. Following deliveries of A700 aircraft in 2008, Hainan Zhong Hong Tai General Airlines LTD plans to sell the A500 and A700 aircraft for Adam Aircraft and provide lease-back options to owners for air taxi operations.
Adam Aircraft recently announced several milestones for the A700 AdamJet certification program. The first fully conforming A700, Serial Number 003, joined the flight program with its first flight on April 9, 2007. Since first flight, testing has focused on the evaluation of the production configuration of flight controls, landing gear system, avionics, and data acquisition system used for flight testing.
The all-carbon fiber design has met or exceeded its structural design parameters. The aircraft has completed Ground Vibration Testing (GVT), which is a necessary step in clearing the aircraft for its full-speed operating envelope, including a maximum cruise speed of 340 KTAS and maximum operating ceiling of 41,000 feet. In support of flight test, Adam Aircraft is also conducting full-scale static testing on several test articles and has successfully completed more than 75 percent of the company tests. Static testing for FAA requirements is currently 20 percent complete and will conclude in 2007.
Jet 004 fuselage, wing, and tail have been mated, and the aircraft will join the test program this summer, followed by Jet 005 later this year. The last aircraft used in the certification program, Jet 006, will be built to support the Functional and Reliability (F&R) tests at the end of the flight test program. Following the conclusion of F&R tests, the company will obtain its A700 Type Certificate, with deliveries beginning in 2008. The A700 will be added to the Adam Aircraft Production Certificate (PC) already in place for its facilities in Englewood and Pueblo, Colorado, and Ogden, Utah, in support of production of the A500 piston twin aircraft.