VisionAire Vantage

Type (Muster)
Light business jet (leichter Geschäftsreisejet)

Country (Land)
USA

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
VisionAire Corp.
595 Bell Avenue
Chesterfield, Missouri 63005
USA

Phone: 001-314/530-1007
Fax: 001-314/530-0005

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 1
Passengers (Passagiere): 5
Baggage (Gepäck): 0,71 cu m

Power plant (Antrieb): Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5
Thrust (Schub): 12,9 kN (2900 lbs)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 12,43 m
Height (Höhe): 4,16 m
Span (Spannweite): 14,48 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 20,6 sq m

Cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 3,30 m
Cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 1,57 m
Cabin height (Kabinenhöhe): 1,52 m
Cabin floor area (Kabinenfläche): 5,39 sq m
Cabin volume (Kabinenvolumen): 8,8 cu m

Weights (Massen)
Empty weight (Leermasse): 2040 kg
Payload (Nutzlast): 558 kg
Max. fuel (Max. Kraftstoff): 1360 litres in series version
Max. take-off weight (Max. Startmasse): 3538 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Max. Mach no (max. Machzahl): 0.65
High-speed cruise (Reisegeschwindigkeit): 350 kts (648 km/h)
Stall speed (Überziehgeschwindigkeit): 130 km/h with gear and flaps down
Climb rate (Steigrate): 20,3 m/s
Max. cruise altitude (Reiseflughöhe): 12500 m (41000 ft)
Runway requirement over 50 ft obstacle (Startstrecke über 15-m-Hindernis): 763 m
Range (Reichweite) at high speed cruise at 40000 ft with IFR rules and 45 min reserve:
   - 2915 km with pilot and full fuel
   - 2685 km with pilot and 2 passengers
   - 2130 km with pilot and 4 passengers
   - 1850 km with pilot and 5 passengers

Costs (Kosten)
The selling price for the VisionAire Vantage is 1,80 million US-Dollars (1998) with standard equipment. Optional equipment is extra. The contracts have an escalation clause not exceeding 3 per cent per year.

Customers (Kunden)
At the 1998 EAA convention in Oshkosh (July 1998), VisionAire claimed over 130 orders, representing a backlog of over 200 million US-Dollars. Sales of the Vantage are represented in 39 US-states and eight countries internationally The first delivery position available currently is sometime in 2002.

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
Cessna CitationJet
Raytheon King Air C90SE
Socata TBM 700

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The Vantage is a small business jet aimed at smaller companies and private individuals who previously had to rely on piston-powered aircraft or turboprops. It offers access to airports with 2500 ft runways and features a very spacious cabin. Construction is mainly of composites.
VisionAire Corp. was formed in 1998 by James O. Rice Jr., but it took considerable time to find enough money to get the programme rolling. After tests with scale models, construction of a proof of concept aircraft got under way at the beginning of 1996 at Scaled Composites. First flight was achieved on 16. November 1996.
On 26 May 1998, VisionAire opened its 6 million US-Dollar, 116,000 square foot domestic assembly facility in Ames, Iowa. The plant will have the capacity to produce 115 Vantage aircraft per year with a single shift, and up to a 40% increase with additional shifts. VisionAire also has an option to lease an adjacent 17 acres for plant expansion.
Current plans call for the first certification-representative aircraft (VT1) to fly in January 1999, with VT2 following two months later. Also, two static-test airframes for structural and systems testing will be built. Certification is scheduled for 1999, with production to rise to 66 in 2000 and 115 in 2001. There are also negotiations with the Israeli Government over the set-up of a plant in Arad.

Last updated 27. August 1998

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