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SJ30 Jet Excels In Airframe Icing Tests
San Antonio, Texas, USA – March 6, 2006 – Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation (SSAC) announced today the completion of another major milestone for the SJ30 business jet. The final flight test in actual icing conditions was completed on March 1, 2006 in Provo, Utah. This testing consists of the FAA requirement to complete a 45 minute hold in actual maximum continuous icing conditions, and was completed by Test Pilots Mark Fairchild, John Siemens, and Flight Test Engineer Schuyler Horn.
On October 27th, 2005, the company announced that it had received FAA Type Certification for the SJ30, and that two tests remained before the initial delivery to a customer. The two remaining tests were for the approval for flight into known icing and the approval of the aircraft’s interior.
DER Test Pilot John Siemens said “The airplane performed remarkably well in the extreme icing conditions we encountered. It is also my opinion that the SJ30 performed better in the ice than any other airplane I have previously certified for flight in known icing conditions.”
The SJ30 is equipped with electrically heated windshields and uses engine bleed air heat to anti-ice the wings and engines. Pneumatic boots are used to de-ice the horizontal tail. The approval flight involved 50 minutes of maximum continuous icing conditions and more than another hour of intermittent icing conditions, which resulted in a build up of over 4 inches of ice on unprotected areas of the aircraft. Siemens noted, “The flight characteristics and handling qualities were very good with this residual ice accumulation. In the post flight debriefing, the flight test crew all agreed that the SJ30 is one of the safest airplanes on the market today when it comes to flying in icing conditions.”
Earlier in February, test pilot John Siemens and other members of the flight test crew completed artificial ice shapes testing at Roswell, NM. This testing is required to demonstrate aircraft handling characteristics, including stability, control, and stall characteristics, with simulated ice attached to the airframe, replicating what would accumulate on unprotected surfaces during flight in a 45 minute maximum continuous ice encounter.
SSAC’s SJ30-2 business jet is a high performance twinjet aircraft with a range of over 2,500 nautical miles and the highest cruise speed in the light jet industry of Mach .83 (560 mph). This single pilot certified jet operates at altitudes to 49,000 feet and maintains a “Sea Level Cabin” of 12 psi through 41,000 ft. SSAC is positioned to produce a family of cost-efficient, high performance, high-quality business jets. Additional information, updates, 360 virtual tour views, photos and specifications are available at www.SJ30Jet.com.
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Additional Information Contact:
Mark Fairchild mfairchild@sj30jet.com
Tel: 1-210-258-3900
Fax: 1-210-258-8687