Stratos 716X Makes First Flight

Stratos 716X
Credit: Stratos Aircraft

Stratos Aircraft, based in Redmond, Oregon, has announced the first flight of its Stratos 716X single-engine very light jet.

The aircraft is designed to cruise at 400 kt. The first flight, which lasted for 22 min., was full power takeoff and climb to 13,500 ft. It is the first flight of an extensive flight test program expected to last several months.

The six-seat aircraft, with an all-carbon-fiber airframe, is 4.5 ft. longer with a wider, 4.9-ft. cabin, compared to the 714 Proof-of-Concept aircraft introduced in 2017 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin. 

The 716X features a trailing link gear and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney JT15D-5 turbofan. It is equipped with dual G3X screens, Integrated Garmin Autopilot, GTN 750 MFC, dual standby attitude indicators, custom switch panels, automated pressurization system and air conditions. 

“The first flight of the 716X went as briefed, which is a testament to the design quality and the professionalism of the crew here at Stratos,” Stratos test pilot Sean VanHattan said. “The aircraft is well harmonized and its directional stability was very good.”

The Stratos 716X will be offered as an experimental kit build aircraft. The 716 will be certified by the FAA for production. 

“We see introducing a limited number of kit aircraft as a logical step toward certification,” said Carsten Sundin, Stratos chief technology officer. “It will allow customers who don’t want to wait for the 716 certification an opportunity to own and operate a Stratos 716X much sooner, while we continue to develop our production processes.”

The Stratos 716X kit will be comprehensive and include a builder assist program. The program will allow the company to delivery the 716X to a select group of customers “very soon,” Sundin said.

Stratos has invested in the support of production with facilities spanning 41,000 sq. ft. The company includes a full engineering team, design office, assembly facility and manufacturing machine shop. A separate facility at Roberts Field Airport in Redmond supports the flight test program.

It has also commissioned a state-of-the-art composite facility with a CNC ply cutter, laser projectors to help the alignment of the individual plies and a large “walk-in” oven to cure completed parts. 
 

Molly McMillin

Molly McMillin, a 25-year aviation journalist, is managing editor of business aviation for the Aviation Week Network and editor-in-chief of The Weekly of Business Aviation, an Aviation Week market intelligence report.