SJ30
Parked beside one last night, N7SJ, what a cool looking aircraft, this is the first one that i have seen, so I'm wondering how successful is this aircraft, what is the performance like? And considering the aircraft carrier style landing gear, whats it like to land?
Thanks Mutt |
There is a flight test article from Flight :
FLIGHT TEST: Emivest SJ30 - Long-range rocket Morgan Freeman bought s/n 10 : EMIVEST Aerospace The actor looks pretty busy: FlightAware > N30GZ |
It used to be the fastest Corporate jet out there and very rugged construction
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How many have they delivered? Half a dozen?
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What's the cruising mach, range, MTOW, etc, etc.?
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Range 2,500nm
Speed Mach 0.83 Ceiling: FL490 All incredible numbers for a LIGHT JET, costing in the $7.5 mil range.:D But there's more.... Sea level cabin at FL410 and only 1,800ft at FL490...........for a Delta p of 12psi.... YUP............eat your heart out G650 drivers....:p It's not huge, 'bijoux' is appropriate............but it is comfortable. 4 pax in the rear, and seats can berth for 2 pax 5th pax on mid cabin belted lav.....and the lav has full closing hard doors, not curtains. As this is a LONG range light jet, crew thus has access to lav without disturbing pax. AND............ Full single pilot certified. So can put 6th pax (often owner-pilot) on RH seat in cockpit. All the usual gadgets and things are available standard or option: Satcom HF (needed for world travel) dual FMS or coupled Garmin Mode S with diversity Airshow Considering the aircraft type also holds the world record from Texas to London for under 20,000lb class (and that achieved with only one stop to refuel in Goose Bay). This done before the HF was installed and thus requiring a detour on the fastest route over the Atlantic, so on another occasion they should be able to shave 30 mins off this record. The SJ30 Jet Crosses the Atlantic Ocean Setting Several Speed and Range Records. | North America > United States from AllBusiness.com This aircraft has a LOT to offer. Certainly on the traditional evaluation of business aircraft rationale. ECO - Well fuel burns are frugal as well......in cruise you'll see 700-800lbs total / hour rates......typical around M0.8 so turbo-prop fuel burn at real jet speeds. Uses nothing 'high-tech' to achieve these numbers either...so you don't become a technology guinea pig... Williams engines, Honeywell avionics (OK the avionics could do with a re-refresh now, but still highly functional - Primus Epic based) an EFB can be offered. Essentially metal construction (very little composite) the traditional proven way. They also included full leading edge slats and fowler flaps to a 30degree sweep razor thin wing.......so fast speed as well as low approach speed handling is just fine. It's all just done well. There you go......... |
Those must be some pretty and nice smelling flaps ;).
Great looking airplane with some real nice capabilities. Likely to be a good seller :ok:. HyFlyer, you're not SW are you? |
SJ30
I am lucky enough to have flown the SJ30. The performance numbers published are based on the test aircraft that were used for FAA certification which were slightly less smooth or efficient than the production aircraft. On a customer aircraft I have seen TAS of 494 kts (around ISA) and have reached the overspeed warning at around M.84 in level flight at FL300. Although we have not done it, extrapolating the long range trips we have done of 2200-2400 nm, we believe that the SJ30 is capable of doing 2600 nm still air over about a 6 hour flight, if you run LRC and step climb efficiently through the levels FL410, 430, 450, 470 and last hour at 490. Obviously with IFR reserves.
Ed Swearingen has produced a nice aircraft. |
How do passengers like it?
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SJ30 - passengers reaction
We have had a variety of reactions from passengers. They all like the sea level cabin up to FL410 so they feel less tired after a long flight. They like the fact that the 2 "owner" seats recline to form a flat double bed. However, some passengers are expecting a larger cabin for an aircraft that has such impressive numbers, or even a stand up cabin. But in its defence I would say that the interior is roughly the same size as a CJ2 or CJ3, so its addressing a subset of the jet buyer market who can live with that size of cabin.
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SJ30 Ride
I fly for factory. Ride quality is the other thing. Over 70 lbs per sq ft of wing loading so the SJ30 flies beautifully through the air especially in turbulence.
During demos in production aircraft we see the demo speed of 494 kts all the time. In the climb at 250/0.7 passing thru FL330 you see 410 ktas. Speed is everything. Vref ranges from about 99 kts low and 110 high. Easy to fly as well. He right though the avionics need some updating |
But in its defence I would say that the interior is roughly the same size as a CJ2 or CJ3, so its addressing a subset of the jet buyer market who can live with that size of cabin. |
I understand that the one that i saw is now based in Riyadh, but unfortunately it doesn't appear to move :(
What is the baggage space like? Cheers Mutt |
SJ30 Baggage Space
It has quite a large baggage area at the back with 500 lb weight limit.
Actually the SJ30 in Riyadh has moved quite a lot recently - its just that it probably gets put back in the same place by Arabasco. It has flown short trips to Jeddah, Bahrain and Dubai in the last 2 weeks. Operating costs are pretty reasonable around here in the Middle East with jet fuel at about $2.50 a gallon (we burn about 150 gals/hr on shorter missions, 120 gal/hr in long range flights). But it does make handling charges of $900 for less than a day in Dubai or Bahrain seem expensive by comparison. Think we will use Sharjah in future, not Dubai - looks a lot more reasonable on handling and parking. Dubai charges $400/day for parking after the 4th day whether you are a B747 or a C152, and slightly lower amounts for the first 4 days. |
Actually the SJ30 in Riyadh has moved quite a lot recently Mutt |
Mutt, would be happy to show you round, just send me a private message and I will give you some Riyadh contact details.
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I fly for factory. |
SJ30
One just delivered to Morgan Freeman last month was S/N 10
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What do they cost? Pretty impressive figures. Any news on EASA certification?
FBP |
Hum, and what about the Falcon 10 guys? It can "hold" the comparison and it's 30 years older, what do you think? (well, except for the range)
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In answer to last 2 posts, as far as I know new price for 2011 delivery (which is next slot I am told) is around $7.25m. I understand from the factory guys that EASA completed their test flying of the SJ30 OK but left the factory with lots of actions to stress test things and do other exercises that they thought necessary for European certification that the Feds did not. We have not got a date yet out of the factory for this to be completed.
Falcon 10's are great aircraft, which seem to be much loved by most people who have flown them. Dont know if Ed Swearingen ever flew one of them, but the SJ30 does look suspiciously like one! |
I think operating costs should be considerably lower on the SJ30 compared to the Falcon 10, being a lot lighter, and having simpler systems. The cabin is also smaller on the SJ30.
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One just delivered to Morgan Freeman last month was S/N 10 FC |
Very cool. I love when unique planes come out. Tiny cabin comfortable for 2-4, fitted in a plane with good midsize range and performance, for a very accessible price. A lot of people will probably figure that they usually fly with less than 4 passengers and that they couldn't give up that range for that price.
It was looking like Dassault was going to be doing something similar at the higher end with their next plane ("Falcon SMS"), since we learned that they requested designs for 10,000lb thrust engines on a plane where they talked about the cabin being about the size of a G250 or Challenger 300. The G250 uses only 7,500lb engines. Even the large cabin Falcon 2000 series uses only 7,000lb engines and the Falcon 900 uses 3x5,000lb engines. But this interesting program seems to have been put on hold, and they seem to be reevaluating what exactly they're trying to sell with their next plane. G250 cabin with true 10 hour range at for a huge discount compared to the G450 and Global 5000. |
Who would like to sit in a G250 or CL300 cabin for TEN hours? I can barely get thru 10 in a GLEX. ;) Interesting plane, though, esp. in these times.
GF |
N30GZ was there last weekend
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SJ30s Flying in the World
We have 4 production aircraft delivered and more on the way. Last one was SN 010 which belongs to Morgan Freeman. They are on their second trip to Europe since delivery less than 2 months ago and have already racked up nearly 160 hrs. They have made trips all over US, South Africa, Middle East, Europe, and Canada with no maintenance issues.
They have shown the value of the SJ30 - its ability to fly the N Atlantic (St Johns to Azores or Goose to London) with no stops in between and to do it with speed. M 0.83 thru FL330, M 0.80 thru FL450, and M0.76 at FL490. It really can be used for transoceanic flying. And all at a sea level cabin thru FL410 thanks to a 12 psi cabin. |
Tail LOgo for N30GZ
It is the logo for Morgan Freemans Blues Club. One in Clarksdale, MS and the other in Memphis. GZ is Ground Zero Blues cLUB
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The blurb states that it comes equipped with:
What does it use as its dual long range navigation systems? Mutt |
LRN
It comes with a single Honeywell NZ2000 FMS (w GPS) and his aircraft has an independant second GPS - a coupled Garmin 500W. Can also option for 2nd Honeywell FMS.
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Have been following the development of this plane all along.
Looks like a terrific design. Have always been impressed with the 12 psi differential pressurization. Having flow both single pilot Citations and the magnificent Falcon 10 would love to get a shot at an SJ 30. The only dissapointment is that I thought it was suppose to have a 3000 mile range. This is a really nice number for being able to go Europe directly to the US East coast.I wonder if there are any plans for a range increase in the future? |
Beautiful aircraft, and M. Freeman's glowing comments have to be very welcome publicity. Have there been additional deliveries so far this year in the wake of this publicity?
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No - according to my records! Good range, cabin far too small for that range however. Sorry to say, dead duck - will never be a commercial success! :ugh:
....get's ready for the flack! :uhoh: |
SJ30 production;
001 N30SJ destroyed in 1999 had a 'short fuselage' 002 N138BF destroyed in fatal crash 2003 'short fuselage' 003 N30SJ prototype donated to Lonestar Museum TX 004 N404SJ prototype ex N709HB 005 N50SJ first production aircraft 006 N30SJ Eminvest Dubai ex N60SJ/N901HB 007 N7SJ Hamish Harding (Eminvest Investor) 008 N200DV Deju Vu strip clubs 009 ??????? 010 N30GZ Morgan Freeman So two deliveries appear to be to themselves, and Deju Vu, and Freeman are the first two customer aircraft. Action Aviation - SJ30 S007 Photo |
Man, no follow on deliveries after Freeman. So much for the Hollywood effect. In rereading older posts, I note Bizjetsurprise thinks next delivery slot is 2011. Where are Travolta and the other hi-rollers when the market needs them?:cool:
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A client of mine has/had some money down on an SJ30 three years ago...company has some serious problems...but the concept/aircraft is sound.....limited market for sure...not too many single pilot captains are going to fly over the pond by themselves...or sit in the 40s all day long...or be comfy with the speeds...it's obviously not a King Air...
That said, being an SP captain in Encores and such...Premier 1 was a good start....but the SJ30 blows everything away...can't wait to hop in one in Miami, fly the tracks, land in Paris in reasonable fashion that evening.... Williams engines are really taking over...there is an SII retrofit that makes the plane do like 2500 NM as well...400 kts...not a speed demon, but the days of single pilot over water international flights are now becoming reality. |
Plane maker Emivest's assets set to be bought - San Antonio Express-News
Metalcraft Technologies, Inc. Emivest sale pending final court approval - with over 700 million dollars spent on development - the final offer for the assets is less than 5 million dollars. The prospective buyer is in fact the company that built tail components for the SJ-30 and most like owed a lot of money - it appears the company may be purchased to sell off the assets - which would mean the end of a dream? Don't know what happened to the Chinese bid - they are currently awaiting Government approvals for their purchase of Cirrus. |
Hookster
You have a PM |
It's quite cool seeing a C525 versus an SJ30 which goes roughly twice as far even though it has similar weights and the same engines. :} Cessna are getting somewhere with the CJ3/CJ4 but the SJ30 is lighter than them I think.
IMO it's a cracking aircraft - I've never been in one but I know people who fly them, and I don't understand why it hasn't sold very well. Maybe with an avionics revamp and some other little features will be the tipping point (a la Citation "Ten"). |
There's a owner in South Africa (Or Swaziland) that has upgraded to the SJ30 from his Mustang... absolutely loves it! Beats a Lear 45 from Cape Town to Luanda by 15 min apparantly!
69 |
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