Adam On The A500’s Type Certificate…

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It’s Certified, But With Limitations

Adam Aircraft CEO Rick Adam hosted a live Web seminar on Tuesday, with an update on the status of his company’s A500 centerline twin and the A700 light jet. The just-shy-of-$900,000 (in 2003 dollars) A500 piston twin received its FAA Type Certificate (TC) in May, and “We’re all thrilled here,” Adam said. The first customer delivery is set to take place at Oshkosh, in late July. At this time, the TC comes with substantial restrictions for the aircraft — daytime VFR only, no baggage, maximum of three occupants, avoidance of icing conditions, a 12,500-foot operational ceiling, and a (presently) very short airframe life limit, for example. However, all the testing has been completed, Adam said, and it’s just a matter of getting all the paperwork through the FAA. A chunk of that will be done in July and the rest in September, he said (though the icing program will come later), at which point the restrictions will be removed, and customer aircraft will be retrofitted and upgraded. Initial customers have said they are ready to take delivery of their airplanes when the planes are ready, even if those amendments are still pending, Adam said. He added that this process is “normal” for complex aircraft at this price point. The Production Certificate is still pending, and is expected later this year. The TC is enough, though, for the company to manufacture and deliver aircraft now. The company expects to deliver at least three airplanes by the end of the year. The first Service Centers are almost ready, with the first planned for Fort Myers, Fla. Adam is also working to certify AmSafe harness-type airbags.

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