Bob Kromer, vice president of sales at Piper.

The upbeat news on the personal jet revolution emanating from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007 continued as Piper Aircraft delivered an assessment of its PiperJet program at a press conference on Wednesday.

The Vero Beach, Florida-based company is in the midst of an effort to "resurrect the brand," according to Bob Kromer, Piper Aircraft’s vice president of sales and the key to the turnaround is the single-engine PiperJet.

Kromer reported the company has completed wind tunnel testing of the PiperJet, from its 65-knot stall speed to 200 knots. The tests have validated the design, Kromer reported, while also leading to refinements of the wing and fuselage. "You always have design changes," after wind tunnel tests, Kromer said.

The horizontal stabilizer, which was initially a straight-tail design, has now been swept rearward 30 degrees. Its size has also been increased from 70 to 76 square feet to give the aircraft more elevator authority for trim and for takeoff at a full-forward center of gravity.

Leading-edge extensions have been added to the wing root to relieve drag. Kromer said the extra area in the wings the extensions create may be used to increase fuel capacity. Also, the diameter of the engine nacelle, mounted atop the rear of the fuselage just forward of the tail, has been reduced by two inches, further cutting drag. The wind tunnel tests also showed the aircraft will have a 17:1 power-off glide ratio.

Changes to the airframe have not affected the aircraft’s projected performance: The Williams-Rolls FJ44-3AP will deliver 2,450-2,500 pounds of thrust, giving the PiperJet an estimated top speed of 360 knots at its maximum operating altitude of 35,000 feet, and a cruise speed of 320-330 knots at that altitude. Range is projected at 1,300 nautical miles, enabling transcontinental journeys with one fuel stop. The cabin will be pressurized at 6.45 psi, yielding a 5,500-foot cabin at 25,000 feet and a 10,000-foot cabin at 35,000 feet.

"Every airplane has its sweet spot," Kromer said, and for the PiperJet it’s from 25,000 to 31,000 feet.

A proof-of-concept aircraft is now under construction at the company’s Vero Beach factory. The first flight of a conforming prototype is expected in the second quarter of 2008. Type certification is expected in mid-2010 and first delivery in late 2010.

"We’ve done many Type Certificates," Kromer said, distinguishing Piper from competitors with less experience that are also attempting to certify single-engine jets.

"We know what it takes. We have 160 other Type Certificates. We have a production facility with 1,000 people. We’re not a startup. We know how to do this."

Still to be decided is where the PiperJet will be built. The company is entertaining offers and weighing inducements from Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, and its current home base of Vero Beach, all of which are bidding to be the site of the PiperJet factory.

"It’s a very competitive process," Kromer said. "We’re right in the middle of competition. May the best competitor win."

Kromer also reported robust sales for the company’s current product line. This year Piper will build 216 aircraft. Fifty will be the turboprop Meridien, the top of the company’s line, priced at about $2 million. Kromer also announced the company will embark on a major program to improve the entire existing product line, beginning this October.

"We’re repolishing and reinvigorating the company," Kromer said, concluding his report on the state of Piper.