Following their very successful debuts at AirVenture and the Reno Air Races this summer and fall, Stratos Aircraft will display their Very Light Jet (VLJ) at the NBAA Convention beginning on October 10th. Between the public appearances, Stratos flight testing has been marking significant progress; the company has started construction on a second prototype and has completed the erection of a new 13,000 square foot composites facility in Redmond.
The aircraft has logged 80 hours of flight time in 44 flights. Pressurized flights are now on the schedule and once cleared to FL 280; the goal will be to verify the 400-knot cruise capability. The Stratos 714 will fit a wide variety of mission profiles for business, personal, and air taxi use. Seating four to six people, it can tackle 1200 nm to 1600 nm legs.
“Progress has been steady and productive,” said Stratos CEO Michael Lemaire. “Sometimes we have to take a step back and realize where we are today compared to just a year ago. We’ve learned so much from flight tests and from the response of the public at the events we’ve attended so far. Feedback has been positive and enthusiastic. Also we’ve nearly doubled the size of our facilities and we’re at work on a second aircraft that incorporates a number of enhancements.”
The first prototype has reached 320 KTAS at 18,000’. It has a tremendous power to weight ratio and tends to levitate at rotation speed, according to the test pilot.
