Safire Aircraft, the Florida-based manufacturer of the new generation Safire Jet, has selected a new version of the Williams International FJ33 turbofan engine as the power plant for the new Safire Personal Jet. Each engine is controlled via dual-channel FADECs and will provide 1,100 pounds of thrust at 72°F sea level standard conditions.

The FJ33, which is on schedule to achieve FAA certification in December 2003, will have a three-year/1,500 hour warranty.

“The FJ33 family is based in a large part of our highly successful FJ44 plus an infusion of ongoing component technology improve-ments” said Greg Williams, president and chief operating officer of Williams International.

“The FJ33 will continue and extend the highly successful performance and reliability track record of the FJ44 series for the new light entry-level jet market segment.”

In making the announcement, Miguel de Miranda Correa, lead investor of the Swiss syndicate funding the programme, said: “We talked with Safire on many occasions during the past few years.

“I have come to be very impressed with their intent to make Safire Jet the safest, most dependable and reliable of its class. Their desire to provide a ‘best value concept’ is reflected throughout their design

and systems.

“Very clearly the FJ33 engine became an excellent match to this design.”

The first Safire Jet flight test aircraft is planned to fly in the first quarter of 2004. FAA certification of the Safire Jet is planned for December 2005 and customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in the first

quarter of 2006.

“Immediate availability of FJ33 engines for our aircraft flight test and certification programs coupled with anticipated FAA engine certification in December 2003 provides Safire with a significant first-to-market advantage” added Camilo Salomon, ceo of Safire Aircraft.

Michael Margaritoff, founder of Safire Aircraft, said: “Over the years Safire has talked with literally every jet engine manufacturer, including some organisations that had extensive design experience

but had never before actually produced an engine.

“When we took a closer look at aviation history it became very clear that any commercial programme that attempted to combine a totally new airframe design with an advanced technology, but unproven engine, hardly ever succeeded and virtually never became successful.

The inevitable surprises usually lead to major setbacks and eventually unsuccessful endeavours.

“Because the FJ33 achieves its performance parameters through a conservative derivative approach from Williams International’s exceptional FJ44, we are convinced it will provide our owners with the level of operational safety, dependability, dispatch reliability, and predictable operating costs we want to incorporate into our Safire Personal Jet right from the outset of deliveries.”