New Aviation Products

To mark the 75th anniversary of Beechcraft and the 60th anniversary of the Beechcraft Bonanza, Raytheon Aircraft Company is rolling back prices on 2007 Beechcraft Barons and Bonanzas.

Cessna received full FAA type certification for its Citation Mustang, making it the first official entrant into the highly anticipated very light jet market. “This is an immense achievement,” said Cessna Chairman Jack Pelton, “marking another point in history when Cessna has led the aviation industry into new territory.”

The crown jewel of New Piper Aircraft’s piston singles, the Mirage, has made its debut with the all-glass Avidyne Entegra panel. Its first cousin, the turbine-powered Meridian, made the conversion earlier, making the Vero Beach-based aircraft manufacturer all glass, all the time.

The latest sales figures from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association are sizzling! First quarter 2006 billings, which include pistons, turboprops and business jets, came in at $4 billion—the biggest first quarter in history. This year’s sales were up a healthy 37.9% over the same period last year and early indications are that the trend will continue.

In 2005, the general aviation industry hit $15.1 billion in billings, an all-time high and a 27.2% increase over 2004. The good news came from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) at their annual Industry Review & 2006 Market Outlook Briefing. GAMA (www.gama.aero) figures put worldwide shipments of general aviation airplanes at 3,580 units for 2005, up 20.8% from the previous year’s total of 2,963 units.

Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation is celebrating a well-deserved FAA certification for its SJ30-2 business jet. Approved for day/night/VFR/IFR single-pilot ops, the new speedster reports a cruise speed that exceeds 460 knots. Passengers will enjoy a sea-level cabin pressure all the way to FL410, and the SJ30-2’s max altitude is another 8,000 feet higher. The “entry-level” jet will compete with the Cessna Citations and Raytheon Premier I. Sino Swearingen says that customer deliveries are forthcoming. For more, log on to www.sj30jet.com or call (949) 851-0900.

There’s excitement in the air in both Albuquerque, N.M., and Wichita, Kan. Final certification for the Eclipse 500 and the Cessna Mustang is almost in sight, and soon, all of us will get the first hints of just how deep the water is for the very light jet (VLJ) aircraft market. At the recent EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., Eclipse flaunted two of its conforming prototypes, and Cessna debuted its Mustang, direct from Wichita, with CEO Jack Pelton at the controls.

Adam Aircraft received the final type certificate for the pressurized, twin-engine A500. Less than one year after founders Rick Adam and John Knudsen gave Burt Rutan $1 million and a back-of-the-napkin design for an all-composite, centerline-thrust twin, a proof-of-concept A500 was flying over Mojave, Calif. In 2002, flight testing began out of Denver’s Centennial Airport.

Final numbers for general aviation’s 2004 financial year have been released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), and the news is great. Piston singles sales hit a 20-year high. “Bonus depreciation, coupled with the continuing growth of the U.S. economy helped make 2004 a turning point for our industry,” says GAMA chairman Jim Schuster.