EAA Oshkosh: Stratos 714 debuts

Based in Redmond, Oregon, Stratos Aircraft debuted its Stratos 714 very light jet (VLJ) for the first time at the Oshkosh AirVenture, in...

Based in Redmond, Oregon, Stratos Aircraft debuted its Stratos 714 very light jet (VLJ) for the first time at the Oshkosh AirVenture, in Wisconsin being held from July 24-30.

The only prototype freshly painted and upholstered will be on display all week near the southwest corner of Boeing Plaza. The aircraft is also scheduled to carry out an in-flight demonstration.

The Stratos 714 is designed to support personal, business and air taxi use. Seating six people, it can travel 1,200 NM at 400 knots. With a lighter cabin load, it can extend cross country legs up to 1,600 NM.

With that performance, the aircraft could fly from Seattle to Miami in 7 hours with just one stop.

Since the first flight, on November 21st last year, the aircraft has flown 37 times, clocking more than 70 flight hours, and has reached an air speed of 250 kt (462 km/h).

 “We have been very pleased with the results of the initial flight test program,” said Stratos CEO Michael Lemaire. “We were able refine the flight controls, improving the feel, and the pilots who have flown the aircraft have given us great feedback.”

The Stratos 714 has the highest thrust to weight ration of any VLJ and this results in excellent take-off performance. Factory test pilot Sean Van Hatten said: “The takeoff is really an event in this airplane. When you reach rotation speed, the airplane simply levitates off the ground.”

The airframe is largely made of carbon composites, that give weight as well as corrosion resistance advantage. The prototype is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5 turbofan with a bifurcated inlets with the engine mounted centrally in the fuselage.

The production aircraft will be powered by a 3,360-pound-thrust, FADEC-equipped PW535E. The 4 seat cabin is 4.7 ft wide and has a height of 4.8 ft, providing plenty of room for passengers to relax on long flights.

The Stratos 714 is pressurized and equipped for flight up to 41,000 ft (maximum certificated altitude). The cabin door features 10 heavy-duty pins and a double-seal design further reduces chances of depressurization.

Nevertheless, the aircraft is capable of rapid descent by use of speed-brakes in the unlikely event of depressurization.