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SAN ANTONIO TAKE-OFF
The demonstration flight was from San Antonio International airport, home of Emivest's main assembly plant. Wing and several fuselage components are manufactured in Martinsburg, West Virginia, while the aft fuselage is made in Utah. All components are shipped to San Antonio for final assembly.
Emivest is in the process of revamping its production process to streamline operations. Output of an entire "stuffed" fuselage is about to be moved to Utah, allowing West Virginia to concentrate on the wing. The wing is now shipped in three pieces, making its final assembly and attachment to the fuselage a time-consuming and expensive process. In the long term, Emivest plans to complete the wing in West Virginia and ship the single piece to San Antonio for simplified final assembly.
The preview aircraft, N30SJ, was the first customer aircraft (serial number 6). The concept aircraft was serial number 1, with numbers 2 through 5 taking part in the development effort. N30SJ was production representative and had about 850 flight hours on it.
My safety pilot was Paul Arrambide, who previously had flown N30SJ for the launch customer. The pre-flight safety inspection yielded few surprises save the ventral strake and its rudder. The pilot's rudder pedals are connected to the conventional rudder on the vertical stabiliser for normal flight control inputs. The ventral rudder, which has about one-third of the rudder's authority, is used for other functions and does not move the rudder pedals. Dual full-time yaw dampers and the autopilot actuate only the ventral rudder.
Like the Premier I, the SJ30 has a rudder bias system designed to reduce pilot workload in the event of an engine failure. The bias system senses an asymmetric power condition based on differential engine bleed air pressure. Unlike the several aircraft I have flown with rudder bias systems, the SJ30's only moves the lower ventral rudder.
Also of note during the walk around was the aft baggage compartment, accessible through a 44.5 x 54.6cm door below the left engine nacelle. The 1.5m3 (53ft3) compartment is rated for 227kg of baggage.
Entrance is through an 81.3 x 118cm air-stair door that incorporates four steps and has a passive and pneumatic seal. Hard sliding panels separate the cockpit from the foyer area.
I found the cockpit to be as roomy as the midsized Piaggio P180 Avanti. Flight instrumentation is anchored by a Honeywell Primus Epic CDC system with three 8 x 10in LCD displays. Overall, the cockpit is well arranged, with system control panels along the bottom edge of the forward instrument panel.
While well equipped, a second flight management system with a second GPS navigation system may be a popular option. For those contemplating using the SJ30's transatlantic range, an HF radio is available.
Pre-start procedures were easily accomplished, with a paper checklist used to ensure their completion. An external power cart was connected for the pre-start operations, allowing the vapour cycle air conditioner to cool the aircraft on a 30°C (86°F) Texas day.
In preparation for engine start, the cart was disconnected and both FJ44-2A engines started off the aircraft battery. I kept an eye on each engine's inter-turbine temperature during the start, which peak well below the 1,000°C limit. Each engine produces 2,300lb (10.2kN) of thrust and is flat rated to ISA+7°C.
The FJ44s do not have full authority digital engine control, they are controlled by an electronic fuel controller (ECU) with dedicated hydromechanical back-up. The throttle quadrant had three detents above cut-off: idle, MCT and TO. Placing the thrust levers in these detents allows the ECU to automatically keep thrust at an optimal setting. Advancing the thrust to about 40% N1 from its idle of 29% N1 started the aircraft rolling.
I found the pedal-controlled nosewheel steering to be fairly linear and allowed for accurate tracking of taxiway centrelines. For tight turns a button on the left-hand side console increases nosewheel steering authority from +/-10° to +/-60°.
The toe-actuated main wheel brakes have two anti-skid channels that allowed me to keep taxi speed to a moderate pace en route to Runway 21. Flaps were set to 10° and computed V speeds input into the flight management system. Performance data can be derived from paper look-up tables or from an optional laptop-based planner.
Once on the runway and cleared for take-off, I released the brakes and rapidly moved the thrust levers into the TO detent. The ECUs stabilised the engines at 102% N1, and the SJ30 accelerated briskly. At an indicated airspeed of 97kt, Arrambide called "V1" followed by "rotate" at 103kt. With two occupants and 1,340kg of fuel, the 5,460kg aircraft lifted off the runway after a 610m ground roll.
At maximum take-off weight and standard conditions, Emivest publishes a total take-off distance of 1,217m, including climbing over a 35ft obstacle. In a 12° nose high pitch attitude the jet stabilised at a trim speed of 136kt.
At an acceleration height of 1,000ft above ground level the nose was lowered, passing 160ft the flaps were retracted and acceleration continued until an initial climb speed of 250kt was captured. Five minutes after starting the take-off roll the thrust levers were retarded to the MCT detent for the climb to altitude.

DIRECT CLIMB
At maximum take-off weight on a standard day, the SJ30 can climb directly to FL430, and at our test day take-off weight, Emivest data shows that it could climb directly to FL450. We decided to only climb to FL430. During the climb I was able to get a feel for the SJ30's controls with a series of gentle 30° angle of bank turns at an indicated airspeed of 250kt.
During the development programme one modification to the conventional ailerons was to increase the thickness of their trailing edge to increase lateral stability and control at high speeds. I found roll control forces to be fairly low and linear with no rudder input required to co-ordinate the turns.
Passing FL320 an indicated Mach of 0.70 was held until levelling off at FL430. Time from brake release to level off was roughly 24min, with a total of fuel burn of 263kg, numbers matching Emivest's published data.
Thrust was kept at the MCT detent, which gave an N1 of 104.3%. After several minutes the SJ30's speed stabilised at M0.812 with an indicated airspeed of 230kt. Total fuel flow at a true airspeed of 459kt was 386kg/h (850lb/h), at nearly standard day conditions. These high-speed cruise numbers match well with Emivest's data and highlight its speed advantage over comparable light jets.
Next, the thrust levers were retarded to around 99% N1 to spot-check long-range cruise performance. With a target Mach of 0.76 desired, I found the speed trend arrow in the primary flight display helpful in stabilising at the long-range cruise speed of 213kt. At M0.76 the true airspeed was 430kt, with a total fuel flow of only 327kg/h.

SEA LEVEL CABIN
With the autopilot engaged, I left the aircraft in the able hands of Arrambide to sample the passenger cabin. With the aft partition doors closed, I found the ambient noise level to be on a par with other light business jets I had flown. While not objectionable, I discerned some fan noise while seated in the aft berthing seats.
Emivest is altering some duct work to alleviate this source of noise. One unique aspect of the SJ30 is its pressurisation system. While most aircraft cabin pressurisation systems run at delta pressures of about 0.55-0.62bar (8-9lb/in2), the SJ30's operates at 0.83bar, which gives a sea level cabin up to FL410.
On test day at FL430 the indicated cabin altitude was only 500ft, whereas the typical business jet would have a cabin altitude of about 6,000ft. The practical effect of a sea-level cabin is that travel is less fatiguing, allowing passengers to arrive more refreshed.
Once back in the saddle, I performed several 45° angle-of-bank steep turns at FL430 and M0.76. Roll and pitch forces were well harmonised and no buffet was felt during the manoeuvring. The power was left up and a descent initiated to investigate the SJ30's high-speed flight characteristics.
As MMO was approached, the airspeed tape on the display changed to alert the pilot to an impending overspeed. Passing MMO, M0.83, an aural warning sounded. Stabilised at M0.83, a series of half amplitude control inputs showed the SJ30's response in all three control axes to be well damped. Pulling the power back and extending the speed brakes caused a noticeable nose pitch-up, a helpful trait when trying to back out of an overspeed situation.
This helpful characteristic was not always present in the SJ30. Initially, the wing-mounted speed brakes were placed inboard of their current production position. Extension of the pre-production speed brakes caused the horizontal tail to be partially blanked out, with a resultant nose-down pitch moment at the worst possible time. The descent was stopped at FL310 where a final cruise point was evaluated.
With the power set in the MCT detent, total fuel flow was 599kg/h and the SJ30 held M0.817. At a static air temperature of -34°C, the SJ30 was zipping along at a true airspeed of 494kt. The SJ30 is hands down the fastest light jet I have flown.
After quenching my thirst for speed, the descent was continued down to 15,000ft mean sea level, where I briefly evaluated the SJ30's slow speed handling qualities.

STALLS AND FALLS
The first approach to stall was in a clean configuration. The power was set to 50% N1 and level flight held to allow the SJ30 to slow. At a gross weight of 4,935kg, the stick shaker went off at an indicated airspeed of 129kt. Had I ignored the shaker, the stick pusher would have fired to force the nose of the aircraft down and break the stall. Recovery at shaker onset was effected by rapidly advancing the power to the TO detent, the ECU preventing any exceedences, and reducing yoke back pressure. As the airspeed increased, the flaps were set to 10° to increase the stall margin.
From a technical standpoint, lowering the flaps would increase the stall margin, but in my several years of aviation experience this was the first jet aircraft where changing aircraft configuration in a critical phase of flight was a recommended procedure.
The next approaches to stall were in the TO - flaps 10° and gear up - and landing - flaps 31° and gear down - configurations. With the power again set provide a slow airspeed bleed-off for stall entry, shaker activation speeds were at indicated airspeeds of 102kt and 92kt respectively.
Recovery to normal flight conditions was again effected by rapidly advancing the power to the TO detent and relaxing yoke back pressure. In the TO configuration approach to stall, no configuration changes were made during the recovery manoeuvre. For the recovery in the landing configuration, the flaps were retracted to 10° after the stall was broken.
While this procedure may provide for an optimal recovery when executed correctly, inadvertent retraction of the flaps to the full-up position during this critical phase of flight could place the aircraft in an even more adverse condition than one that prompted the recovery. During a stall recovery the pilot should be allowed to focus his attention on flying the aircraft, not changing configuration in search of the perfect recovery.

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STALL RECOVERY
Regardless of the recovery technique used, the SJ30 displayed no tendency to drop a wing at shaker onset speeds. In all configurations at shaker onset speed, the SJ30 was responsive to control inputs in all three control axes.
While hand flying the SJ30 for the return to San Antonio, I extending the speed brakes at indicated airspeeds ranging from 200kt to 250kt. In all cases they proved effective at slowing the aircraft with some noticeable burble and little or no nose-up pitching tendency.
While a nose-up pitching moment is a good trait at speeds approaching VMO/MMO, at pattern airspeeds it is not, and the extensive development process has paid dividends for Emivest and the SJ30. I found the SJ30 a delight to hand fly, with pitch and roll control forces well harmonised.
The first approach was a visual straight in to Runway 21. Pitch force changes during gear and flap extension were minimal, with pitch trim readily nulling out any remaining yoke forces. Runway 21 lacks a precision approach and I used the visual approach slope indicator to fly the glidepath. With flaps set to 20°, approximately 68% N1 was required to fly an approach indicated airspeed of 109kt (VREF +5kt) for the 4,831kg aircraft. When landing was assured the flaps were set to 31°/full.
The power was retarded to idle at about 40ft above ground level, with a minor flare initiated about 10ft above the runway. The SJ30's trailing link landing gear ensured a smooth touchdown about 400m down the runway.
Once on the runway, the speed brakes were manually extended with moderate wheel braking bringing the aircraft to a halt less than 1,150m from the approach threshold. At a gross weight of 4,570kg and standard conditions, Emivest lists a landing distance of 778m, which assumes crossing the threshold at 50ft.
Once clear of the runway, we taxied back for the final take-off and landing. V speeds were slightly lower than the initial take-off, the flaps again set to 10°. The only difference between this and the first take-off would be Arrambide pulling the right engine to idle just after calling V1 at an indicated airspeed of 95kt.
Less than 20kg of left pedal was needed to keep the aircraft tracking down the runway, the rudder bias system significantly reducing required pedal forces. Once lateral control was assured I rotated the aircraft, lifting off at about 110kt, slightly above the V2 speed of 107kt.
A climb speed of 115kt was held until reaching an engine-out acceleration altitude of 400ft above ground level. During the climb roughly half of the available rudder trim reduced pedal forces to zero. A visual circuit was again flown to Runway 21. Flaps again were set to 20°, and 80% N1 on the left engine was required to hold a target indicated airspeed of 120kt. While the flight manual target speed was 109kt, the long runway and visual conditions allowed the higher speed to be safely flown.
Compared with the first approach, the faster speed held on the single-engine approach felt more comfortable and stable. Power on the good engine was reduced to idle passing 50ft above ground level and a soft touchdown again was ensured by the trailing link landing gear. Moderate wheel braking again brought the SJ30 to a halt 1,150m down the runway.
Taxi back to Emivest's ramp for engine shutdown again highlighted the SJ30's good nosewheel steering system. Post-flight flows were straightforward and rapidly accomplished. During my 2h flight I was convinced that from performance and flying qualities standpoints Emivest has a winner on its hands.

NICHE OF ITS OWN
The SJ30's ability to cruise at speeds approaching M0.80 and its 4,630km range when lightly loaded make it a long-range rocket in a niche of its own. The cabin is small when compared with the Premier I, but 250 orders show many are willing to trade space for time.
Operational support is an essential element of a business jet purchase. Emivest says it is committed to providing a first-class support network for the SJ30 and once a viable support structure is in place, the SJ30 will not have to sell itself on its merits alone.

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Performance
High Speed Cruise
Mach 0.83
MPH 560
KTAS 486
Km/H 901
Long Range Cruise 2,875 sm (2500 nm)
Mach 0.76
MPH 502
KTAS 436
Km/H 807
Stall Speed 91 KCAS
FAA Take-Off Balanced Field Length GW 3,939 ft (1200 m)
FAA Landing Distance 2,941 ft (896 m)

Seating Seven Place w/Pilot

Engines (2) FJ44-2A Williams Rolls
Take-Off Thrust 4,600 lbs total (2,300 lbs ea)

Design Data
Pressurization 12.0 psi
Max. Certified Altitude 49,000 ft
Cabin Altitude is Sea Level Up To 41,000 ft
Mmo Above 29,500 ft Mach 0.83
Vmo Up To 29,500 ft 320 KCAS (593 km/h)
Vref 105 KCAS
Speed Brake Operation No Speed Limit

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The SJ30 Jet Crosses the Atlantic Ocean Setting Several Speed and Range Records.
On July 15, 2006 the SJ30 flew non-stop from San Antonio, Texas to Goose Bay, Canada, made a quick refueling stop, and then continued non-stop from Goose Bay to the Farnborough air show in Farnborough, England. There was one stop from deep inside the United States to just south of London, England. During this flight, several speed and range records were established, including fastest time from San Antonio to Goose Bay and from San Antonio to Farnborough. This flight was observed under official and strict conditions measured by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), the results of which will be available and official within one month.

This event marks the first time a light jet has crossed the Atlantic Ocean non-stop from Goose Bay to Farnborough, England. From the SJ30's takeoff in San Antonio, Texas to touchdown in Farnborough, England, total air miles traveled were 4,600 nautical miles. Total flight time was 10 hours and 24 minutes. For maximum efficiency, the pilots reduced engine thrust to cruise at .76 Mach, with an average ground speed for the flight of 442 knots. Altitudes for the long-range trip varied between 41,000 and 47,000 feet, but with the SJ30's cabin pressurization differential of 12 PSI, the occupants on-board were never subjected to cabin altitudes greater than 1,000 feet.

Total flight time for the 2,230 nautical mile trip from San Antonio, Texas to Goose Bay, Canada was 5 hours. Landing at Goose Bay, the SJ30 still contained a 1.5 hour fuel reserve. Total flight time for the 2,370 nautical mile final leg of the trip from Goose Bay to Farnborough was 5 hours and 24 minutes, landing with a one hour fuel reserve.

At cruise altitudes, both engines combined consumed fuel at a rate of 675 pounds per hour, or 100 U.S. gallons per hour. The aircraft used a total of 8,300 pounds, or 1,230 U.S. gallons of fuel for the entire trip. The flight is even more remarkable considering the lack of assistance from winds and temperature. The winds were relatively calm at the altitudes traveled and the temperatures aloft were higher than standard. The actual route taken over the Atlantic Ocean was also 200 nautical miles greater than desired due to the lack of an HF radio installation.

Dr. Ching Kuo, Chairman and CEO of SSAC, commented, "When the SJ30 was envisioned, we knew its greatest strength would someday be the ability to fly very long distances in short amounts of time at unequalled levels of fuel efficiency. In addition, the performance would be at a level of cabin comfort never before available in a light jet. This trip from our home offices in San Antonio, Texas to Farnborough, England fulfills our vision. Imagine a light jet capable of delivering passengers from almost anywhere inside the USA to Europe in 10 and a half hours, with only one fuel stop required. This is clearly disruptive technology, that will redefine the market for light jets."

John Siemens, SSAC's Senior Manager of Flight Operations and pilot in command on the flight, elaborated, "I've flown many international trips before in other business jets, but never have I arrived as relaxed and less fatigued as I did on this trip. I can't say enough great things about the SJ30's 12 PSI cabin pressurization differential. There is a huge difference in sitting for 10 and a half hours in a typical 8,000-9,000 foot cabin altitude environment, compared to the SJ30's 1,000 foot cabin altitude. We just sat in the cockpit watching the 450+ knot groundspeeds, keeping track of our position and fuel state, and monitoring autopilot performance. All in a 1,000 foot cabin altitude environment. It doesn't get any better than that!"

Bob Kromer, SSAC's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, stated, "The SJ30 now proves itself the undisputed leader in the light jet market for the speed, range and value equation. Our customers will have the ability to use their airplanes for long range, intercontinental travel along with the ability to fly shorter range flights at speeds up to .83 Mach. That's quite a combination for a jet priced to compete in the light jet market."

SSAC's SJ30 business jet is a high-performance twinjet aircraft with a range of over 2,500 nautical miles and the highest cruise speed in the light jet industry of Mach .83 (560 mph). This single pilot certified jet operates at altitudes to 49,000 feet and maintains a "Sea Level Cabin" of 12 psi through 41,000 ft. SSAC is positioned to produce a family of cost-efficient, high-performance, high-quality business jets.

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SJ30 supplier purchases Emivest assets from bankruptcy
April 29, 2011
Business Aviation

After months of legal wrangling and speculation, the assets of the SJ30 light jet program were purchased on April 7 from bankrupt Emivest Aerospace by the parent company of one of the aircraft’s primary airframe suppliers, Utah-based Metalcraft Technologies, for $3.5 million in cash.

Sources close to the transaction who requested anonymity told AIN that the Metalcraft purchase is the first step in restarting aircraft production with a “clean slate” free of long-term debt and other obligations incurred by several previous owners that were viewed as retarding the program’s progress. That clean slate apparently includes rationalizing production including the closure of Emivest’s Martinsburg, W.Va. plant, producer of the airplane’s wings, and its San Antonio headquarters and final assembly hangar. Aircraft production is expected to be moved to Utah. These same sources said that a U.S.-based investor pool has pledged up to $150 million to get the SJ30 program going again. “This is a positive development,” one source said. From its inception in 1989, the SJ30 has racked up costs estimated at close to $1 billion, while delivering only four of the $7.25 million jets.

Metalcraft’s purchase was combined with a $1.17 million contribution from UK-based Action Aviation, a customer/distributor for the aircraft and an operator of one of the four currently flying. The proceeds were used to satisfy repayment of $4.5 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing obtained from commercial third parties following the October 2010 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Absent this repayment, the DIP financiers could have taken possession of the program’s assets.

Emivest used the funds to finance continuing operations during the bankruptcy, including product support for the four aircraft flying. Those aircraft have logged between 300 and 1,000 hours each since delivery, which began after certification in 2005. The last two aircraft were delivered in 2009, with one taken by actor/producer Morgan Freeman. The deal also included a pledge to honor a $1.688 million customer deposit on one of four aircraft under construction at the time of the bankruptcy filing. Emivest’s assets, including parts and engines for three of the four aircraft on the production line, were valued by a source close to the company at approximately $40 million.

On its own, Metalcraft, maker of 70 percent of the SJ30’s sheet metal and the tail, seems unlikely to place the aircraft back into production. While Metalcraft makes various airframe components for OEMs such as Boeing and Northrop Grumman, several commercial business rating companies peg the Cedar City, Utah company’s overall employment at approximately 120 and annual sales at less than $10 million. Calls to Metalcraft CEO David Grant were not returned.