Adam Full A500 Certification Imminent

0

Colorado-based Adam Aircraft yesterday told AVweb that it expects full certification of its A500 piston-powered centerline-thrust twin in the “next few days.” According to a company spokesperson, “all the paperwork is complete” and filed with the FAA — except for known icing approval — and the company is waiting to hear back from the FAA. If Adam’s understanding of its certification application is accurate, obtaining the FAA’s final approval for the A500 will prove to be a major boon to the company and will help it get additional cash flow to bring the A700 jet to market. As AVweb reported last week, the company recently received a $93 million cash influx from venture capitalist DCM. Taken together, the two developments could firmly plant Adam in the market for piston twins and for VLJs.

Adam’s A500 piston twin started life as a Burt Rutan design known as the M-309 and was first brought to EAA’s Oshkosh extravaganza in 2000. In May 2005, Adam obtained a type certificate for the airplane, but it carried with it several limitations. Presently and until the FAA says otherwise, A500 operators must contend with several operating restrictions, including daytime VFR-only, no baggage, maximum of three occupants, avoiding icing conditions, and a 12,500-foot operational ceiling. Those restrictions — except the one related to known icing — will likely go away with a stroke of someone’s pen in the next few days. We’ll be watching.

LEAVE A REPLY