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Technology update
Premier I gearing up for deliveries
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A T-38 chase plane flies during Premier I high-speed envelope expansion test flights.
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Scheduled for FAA certification this spring, Raytheon Aircraft Co. continues with Premier I production, which will eventually reach a rate of 60 aircraft per year. The six-passenger Premier I, touted by the company to be the first composite-fuselage business jet, has a longer range and a 7 in taller and 8 in wider cabin than competitive entry-level business jets. It features state-of-the-art construction combined with a supercritical metal swept wing. The first eight of the more than 200 aircraft on order are on the final assembly line and will be among the first to be delivered upon full FAA certification.
The Premier I made its first official FAA certification flight test on Nov. 3. In mid-November, the company conducted high-speed envelope expansion flights past the aircraft's normal Mach 0.83 operating speed to Mach 0.86 as part of the certification flight testing. Handling qualities were validated at that speed while a T-38 Talon supersonic jet trainer flew chase.
The third Premier I aircraft, first flown in September, was used to certify the Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite and autopilot. That aircraft featured the first complete interior, which was used to measure cabin sound levels. The fourth aircraft is being used for FAA function and reliability testing for single-pilot certification.
Static testing for FAA certification has been completed on both the fuselage and wing. Engineers demonstrated the Premier I wing's capability to sustain a load equivalent to more than three times the aircraft's normal weight while traveling at 370 kts, 50 kts faster than its maximum operating speed. The actual load applied during the testing was 38,000 lb, which resulted in a wing deflection of more than 2 ft.
The Premier I, powered by two Williams/Rolls FJ44-2A engines, has a maximum speed of 461 KTAS. When fully fueled, the aircraft has a 1500-nmi range and can take off in less than 3000 ft while accommodating a pilot and four passengers.
Frank Bokulich
Aerospace Engineering April 2000
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