OSHKOSH — The first pure jet Piper aircraft in 71 years is set to take to the sky momentarily in Vero Beach, Florida.
The PiperJet conducted high-speed taxi tests this morning, lifting the nose wheel at 80 knots without departing the runway. The test was intended to validate flight stability of the Full Digital Authority Engine Control (FADEC) system on the Williams FJ44-3AP turbofan, as well as the aircraft’s flight controls.
Following the test, Piper returned the aircraft to the hangar for re-weighing and final checks before first flight which is expected to take place within the hour.
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.