Accelerates its Mid-size Freedom S-40 Certification Schedule
Carlsbad, CA, August 10, 2007 - Linden Blue, Chairman of Spectrum Aeronautical, LLC, today announced significant performance improvements to the S-33 “Independence” and that the company will also accelerate the FAA Type Certification program for its new mid-sized light jet, the model S-40 “Freedom.
This will give the jet a substantial step up in both thrust and efficiency. Blue said, The Independence already had the highest thrust to weight ratio of any business jet, and now it's even better. Also, the -19 incorporates Williams latest technology, so with the additional thrust it has even better fuel specifics. We're enthusiastic about continuing to work with Williams on this
exceptional airplane.
The powerplant upgrade has been joined with other design improvements that allow Spectrum to increase the speed, range and cabin size of the S-33. The cabin size of the Independence will go to a 60-inch maximum diameter from its present 58-inches. It will also have about seven-inches of additional width in the aft section of the cabin. The Independence's speed will now increase to over 430 ktas, giving the S-33 the largest cabin, highest speed and longest range of any aircraft in the VLJ category - one of the best overall values in the industry.
Concurrently in development with the company's S-33 Independence very light jet is the larger S-40 Freedom, which provides a stand-up cabin with a maximum diameter of about six-feet and speeds up to Mach 0.77. Spectrum is taking full advantage of opportunities in the development of the Freedom, which has been gaining a great deal of momentum over the past year. Austin Blue, Spectrum's President, explained, We've made the decision to accelerate the Freedom's development and move its anticipated TC schedule up by about a year. To do this requires a shift in priorities, making the Freedom our primary focus for the time being. Prior to this, the company had targeted type certification for the Independence in 2009, followed closely by the Freedom in 2010. In essence, he said, we're pulling the S-40 up to 2009 so an advanced version of the S-33 can follow shortly after it in 2010, rather than vice-versa.
Gary Bushouse, Spectrum’s Director of Sales, commented that the response to moving the Freedom schedule forward as well as the enhancements to the speed, range and cabin size of the Independence are being met with enthusiastic approval. He points out that, The S-33 gains are well worth the wait of a few months in the schedule to obtain, as they further differentiate the Independence as far and away the best in the VLJ class. And of course the Freedom S-40 remains in a class all its own with a mid-size cabin and DOCs that are better than some much smaller, slower, VLJs.
Spectrum Aeronautical Enhances Performance of its Independence S-33 and Accelerates its Mid-size Freedom S-40 Certification Schedule, pg 2 Both the Independence S-33 (eight-place very light jet, powered by Williams International FJ33 engines) and Freedom S-40 (nine-place mid-sized jet, powered by GE Honda HF120 engines) feature the company’s proprietary fibeXTM composite material system. Their light weight, combined with ultra-efficient fanjet engines, result in extraordinary fuel efficiency and very low emission of green-house gasses.
To follow the progress of the both aircraft, visit Spectrum Aeronautical LLC on the web at
www.spectrum.aero.
