Lightweight jet makes its debut

SPANISH FORK — Friday marked the first public flight of a business jet that its creators hope will revolutionize the aviation industry.

At a ceremony Friday in Spanish Fork, Rocky Mountain Composites, Inc. of Spanish Fork and Spectrum Aeronautical, LLC, a company from San Diego, Calif., celebrated the first public flight of Spectrum 33.

Linden Blue, founder and top executive at Spectrum Aeronautical, said the plane, the Spectrum 33, has the potential to earn a spot in aviation history.

"I consider three planes great — the Wright Brothers plane, the DC-3 and the Boeing 707," Blue said. "To be great, a plane must change everything that is known about aviation."

The plane's composite carbon-fiber skin, produced by RMC, is what makes it different from other similar planes. Most aircraft bodies are made up of various metals, but the body of the Spectrum 33 is one piece of carbon-composite material, RMC's proprietary FibeX.

In a recorded message, Gov. Jon Huntsman told the crowd at Friday's event that the jet is an example to aviation experts worldwide and predicted that the technology will attract more aerospace industry to Utah.

When compared to other small business jets, the Spectrum is very appealing, said Jim Winegar, a representative of RMC.

Comparable jets weigh around 13,000 pounds, while the Spectrum is about 7,000 pounds. With the cost of fuel, the lightweight spectrum will be more appealing to pilots than similar planes, said Winegar.

A $3.65 million price tag may also be a selling point. Its creators also estimate the jet will be able to make a 1,000-mile flight while using 40 to 50 percent less fuel than its competitors.

Blue and RMC's Larry Ashton have been working since 1983 to produce advanced composite aircraft structures. The men met when they worked for other companies.

Spectrum Aeronautical is responsible for producing the insides of the plane. RMC is responsible for the material that makes up the outside of the jet.

Ashton said that earlier last year a similar carbon-composite plane with a single engine made its debut flight. The plane, unfortunately, crashed and tumbled down the runway, Ashton said. According to Ashton, the Federal Aviation Administration said the occupants wouldn't have lived had the plane not been made of the carbon-composite material.

At the event, pilot Glenn Maben took the Spectrum 33 to the skies in front of the crowd. He brought it back to the ground nearly 15 minutes later.

Now, the plane will have to go through an array of tests to reach certification through the FAA. The process is expected to be complete by late 2007 or early 2008.

The duplication of the jet will also may play a role in boosting the local economy, as many of the parts are produced in the area.

Williams International in Ogden produces engines for Spectrum, while the landing gear is made by Applied Composites Technology in Fayette, a small community in Sanpete County.

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E-mail: sstewart@desnews.com