Spectrum Aeronautical

Spectrum Aeronautical, LLC
Private
Industry Aerospace
Founded 1995
Headquarters Carlsbad, California, United States
Key people
 Linden Blue
Products Very Light Jets
Website spectrum.aero

Spectrum Aeronautical is a business jet developer based in Carlsbad, California with its development center located in Spanish Fork, Utah.

Since approximately 2006 The company has been involved in the development of two very light jets, the Spectrum S-33 "Independence" and the S-40 "Freedom", which are to be constructed making extensive use of composite materials. The twin-engined single pilot aircraft are supposed to carry between five and nine passengers over distances between circa 3000 and 4000 kilometres, using about 40% less fuel than conventionally built planes. The certification dates of both planes have been postponed on several occasions, even more so after a setback in 2006, when the company's only prototype - a S-33 - crashed, causing the death of two pilots.[1] Further to that, the Global Financial Crash 2008 made the business climate for business jets more restrictive.

The S-33, with an envisaged selling price of just under US-$ 4m, is scheduled to be certified 12 months after the S-40, which is to sell for below US-$ 7m. In recent years Spectrum has sought finance through banks, investors and joint ventures with other aircraft manufacturers. In May 2011 Spectrum president Austin Blue is quoted: "We are still trying to get the programmes advancing, but it is not easy".[2]

Advertised claims

Spectrum management’s history of technologically sophisticated advanced composite aircraft programs includes MQ-1 Predator, LearAvia Lear Fan, Beechcraft Starship, Scaled Composites Proteus, Bell Eagle Eye and Williams V-Jet II, among others. This experience brings to Spectrum a keen understanding of the materials, science, design nuances and limitations of advanced composites in aircraft. It has taken many years of applying multiple areas of expertise to conceive, evaluate, test, refine, and improve Spectrum’s design, and manufacturing processes.

Spectrum expertise is extensive in the disciplines of: advanced aerodynamic design, manufacturing process controls, financial management, FAA certification, interior design, marketing, computer based design, quality assurance, distribution and maintenance systems.[3] .[4][5]

An engine failure while flying a single-engine Stinson Voyager over the jungles of Honduras in 1958 made Spectrum CEO Linden Blue a believer in twin-engine aircraft.[3] Both the S-33 and S-40 are designed to be twin-engine aircraft.[6]

Spectrum Aeronautical will incorporate the PhostrEx fire suppression system into its future aircraft.[7]

Both aircraft feature the company's revolutionary fibeX composite material technology, resulting in empty weights that are about 40% less than comparably sized aluminum aircraft. The light weight combined with efficient next-generation fanjet engines allows significant reduction in fuel consumption and emission of green-house gasses.[8]

Products

The company is developing two jets:

References

  1. ↑ S. Clayton Moore: Spectrum Mourns Losses in Wake of Jet Crash. Airport Journals, September 2006.
  2. ↑ Kate Sarsfield: EBACE: New aircraft in the works, Flightglobal, 10 May 2011.
  3. 1 2 Freeze, Di (October 2005). "Linden Blue: From Disease-Resistant Bananas to UAVs". Airport Journals.
  4. ↑ "Linden & Austin Blue, Spectrum Aeronautical LLC". VLJ Magazine.
  5. ↑ "Spectrum Aeronautical to Open Operations in Carlsbad, California". Business Wire. May 2007.
  6. ↑ Aircraft, Spectrum Aeronautical. Accessed: 9 September 2011.
  7. ↑ "Spectrum to get Eclipse fire protection" FlightGlobal, 25 September 2007
  8. ↑ "Spectrum Aeronautical Receives Fleet Order from Jetpool". Business Wire. February 2008.
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