TYPE: Business jet.
PROGRAMME: Development began 1998; detail design by Dan Cooney. Proof-of-technique airframe and prototype constructed prior to formal announcement at NBAA Convention, Orlando, Florida, in November 2005. Initial flight of prototype (N332LA — indicating lead composites engineer Larry Ashton) originally scheduled for September 2005, but did not take place until 7 January 2006 because of systems integration delays. This aircraft was destroyed in a crash on take off on 25 July 2006, apparently as a result of misrigged aileron controls following maintenance. S-33 named Independence in October 2006.
Planned four conforming prototypes and one or two fatigue and static test airframes originally due for completion by end of 2006. FAR Pt 23 certification planned for late 2007 or early 2008. However, at NBAA Convention in October 2006, Spectrum announced programme delay and rescheduling first flight of second prototype to August 2007; certification in 2009.
COSTS: USD3.65 million (2005). Ownership and operation stated to cost half as much as equivalent aircraft.
DESIGN FEATURES: High-speed, long-range design, employing latest composites material and assembly techniques for lightness and manufacturing economy. No novel aerodynamic features.
High aspect ratio wing, with winglets, mounted below and towards rear of cabin. T tail and two rear-mounted engines. Dimensions dictated, in part, by cabin size equivalent to Cessna Citation CJ2. Large cabin windows enhance interior appeal.
FLYING CONTROLS: Conventional and manual. Actuation by carbon fibre pushrods. Flaps.
STRUCTURE: Aircraft 99 per cent carbon fibre; no filler; almost all carbon-core-carbon sandwiches eliminated, reducing weight by 33 per cent. Labour-intensive and error-prone hand lay-up replaced by FibeX proprietary filament winding process, relying on computer control, permitting fuselage manufacture in five hours, not including pressure co-curing in low-temperature oven. Basic wing and fuselage structures weigh 279 kg (615 lb).
Wing constructed around five I spars. Fuselage interior walls reinforced by integral lattice of grid stiffeners in tradition of geodetic structure pioneered in aerospace applications by Sir Barnes Wallis. Bonded polycarbonate windows.
LANDING GEAR: Tricycle type; retractable. Single wheel on each unit. Hydraulic mainwheel brakes. Nosewheel retracts forward; mainwheels, on cantilever carbon fibre legs anchored at fuselage and splayed outwards, retract rearwards.
POWER PLANT: Two 7.0 kN (1,568 lb st) Williams FJ33-4 turbofans. Fuel in wing tanks, combined capacity 1,563 litres (413 US gallons; 344 Imp gallons).
ACCOMMODATION: Up to 10 persons, including pilot(s) and fully-enclosed aft lavatory; typically seven, including ‘club four’ in centre of cabin with single, forward-facing seat, starboard, opposite door and adjacent to emergency exit. Internal features by Infusion Design of Bonner Springs, Kansas. Sidestick controllers. Cabin equivalent pressure 1,830 m (6,000 ft) up to FL450. Externally accesses baggage compartments fore and aft of pressure bulkheads.
AVIONICS: Avidyne three-screen EFIS in prototype; other options under consideration for production aircraft.
DIMENSIONS, EXTERNAL:
- Wing span: 12.83 m (42 ft 1 in)
- Wing aspect ratio: 10.4
- Length overall: 14.00 m (45 ft 11 in)
- Height overall: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
DIMENSIONS, INTERNAL:
- Cabin:
- Length: between pressure bulkheads: 5.49 m (18 ft 0 in)
- aft of cockpit: 3.96 m (13 ft 0 in)
- Max width: 1.47 m (4 ft 10 in)
- Max height: 1.47 m (4 ft 10 in)
- Baggage compartment volume: front: 0.28 m³ (10 cu ft)
- rear: 1.8 m³ (63 cu ft)
AREAS:
- Wings, gross: 15.79 m² (170.0 sq ft)
WEIGHTS AND LOADINGS:
- Weight empty: 1,642 kg (3,620 lb)
- Max payload: 907 kg (2,000 lb)
- Max fuel weight: 1,257 kg (2,771 lb)
- Max T-O weight: 3,311 kg (7,300 lb)
- Max wing loading: 209.7 kg/m² (42.94 lb/sq ft)
- Max power loading: 237 kg/kN (2.33 lb/lb st)
PERFORMANCE (estimated):
- Max level speed: 415 kt (768 km/h; 478 mph)
- Normal cruising speed: 415 kt (768 km/h; 478 mph)
- Stalling speed: flaps up: 92 kt (170 km/h; 106 mph)
- flaps down: 78 kt (145 km/h; 90 mph)
- Max rate of climb at S/L: 1,549 m (5,082 ft)/min
- Rate of climb at S/L, OEI: 455 m (1,492 ft)/min
- Max certified altitude: 13,715 m (45,000 ft)
- Service ceiling, OEI: 6,100 m (20,000 ft)
- T-O balanced field length: 914 m (3,000 ft)
- Landing balanced field length: 823 m (2,700 ft)
- Range:
- with max payload: 875 n miles (1,620 km; 1,006 miles)
- with four passengers, NBAA reserves: 1,600 n miles (2,962 km; 1,841 miles)
- ferry, VFR: 2,000 n miles (3,704 km; 2,301 miles)
The article appears in the following publication:
Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2007-2008. Jane's Information Group Ltd. 2007. ISBN: 0-7106-2792-0