Scaled Composites Triumph

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Scaled Composites Triumph was a twin-engine, business jet prototype designed and built by Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites for Beechcraft. It was known officially as the Model 143, and internally at Scaled as the "Tuna".

Originally, three versions of the all-composite aircraft were envisioned, one powered by piston engines, one by turboprops and one by turbofans. The only one built was the turbofan version, which was first aircraft to be powered by the Williams International FJ-44 engine. The maiden flight took place at the Mojave Airport on July 12, 1988. The aircraft had a distinctive appearance, with both a canard and a standard horizontal stabilizer in a T-tail configuration.

The design did not make it into production with Beechcraft. After the aircraft's test program was completed, the airframe was mounted on a pedestal at Scaled's Mojave facility for several years before being moved to the Palmdale Heritage Airpark at Plant 42.