V-Jet II
Williams International Press Release
Walled Lake, Michigan, June 23, 1997 -- Williams
International today announced that its all-composite, turbofan-
powered "V-JET II" light aircraft is on schedule
for its July 31 fly-in and follow-on demonstration flights
and exhibition at the Experimental Aircraft Association
(EAA) convention at Oshkosh, July 30 to August 5, 1997.
Williams also announced that, although the aircraft is early
in its program of gradually expanding its flight envelope,
the twin-engine "V-JET II" has already demonstrated
docile stall characteristics for beginning pilots, and it
has flown at 30,000 feet and at 295 knots true air speed.
The Oshkosh show will be the first unveiling of the aircraft
to the media and public.
Last fall under a competitive procurement
program among jet engine companies, NASA selected Williams
International to join NASA in a $100 million cooperative
effort to revitalize the once-flourishing light aircraft
industry in the United States through small turbofan engine
technology. Under the program, Williams and its industry
team members, which include Williams suppliers and future
aircraft company customers, provide 60 percent of the resources
and NASA provides 40 percent for the initial engine demonstration
phase.
Williams, currently in the component design
phase of the engine technology program, is emphasizing low
cost manufacturing processes suitable for high quantity
production, and is active with key suppliers to minimize
material and purchase parts costs. The new Williams engine
has been named the "FJX-2."
Dr. Sam Williams, Chairman of Williams International,
said, "Our objective is to replace aging, piston-powered
light aircraft with all new, four-place single and six-place
twin, turbofan-powered modern aircraft. This means we must
develop a turbofan in the 700 lb thrust category that is
very low in cost at a high production rate, is extremely
quiet, is light in weight, and is very reliable."
Not intended for production, the "V-JET
II" was designed by Dr. Sam Williams to demonstrate
the new Williams FJX-2 high bypass ratio engine characteristics
in flight over the anticipated speed and altitude range
for the future "turbofan-powered, light aircraft era."
Several Williams "V-JETs" have been
designed in past years by Dr. Williams with three full-scale
mockups and at least a dozen small models studied to arrive
at the present "V-JET II" configuration. The name,
"V-JET", started with the forward-swept or V-shaped
wing that continues from the early Williams designs.
The "V-JET" has the appearance of
an advanced fighter with forward-swept wings. The sleek
appearance is not only for marketing appeal but is for sound
aerodynamic and structural reasons. The Williams design
emphasized, and has now achieved for beginning pilots, very
docile stall characteristics (because of the forward-swept
wing) and minimum pilot action required in the event of
a single engine-out condition (because of the close spacing
of the engines in the unique Williams V-tail design).
Williams also revealed today it contracted
with Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites organization to start
with the Williams preliminary design, to conduct the V-JET
II" detailed design and analysis, and to manufacture
the prototype "V-JET II" (that will fly in to
the Oshkosh show). According to Dr. Williams, "Burt
Rutan and his team have made major improvements to this
design and have introduced into this prototype many new,
exciting manufacturing processes." Flight testing is
being done by Scaled Composites'; Doug Shane, acting as
Chief Pilot of the program; Matt Gionta, Project Engineer;
and Burt Rutan.
The aircraft at Oshkosh this year will be
powered by two existing low bypass ratio, 550 lb thrust,
FJX-1 turbofan engines developed previously by Williams,
These interim engines are being used to check out the aircraft's
performance and systems prior to installation of the new
high bypass ratio, FJX-2 engines being developed in cooperation
with NASA. The new engines are to be installed during the
fourth year of the NASA/Williams program and demonstrated
at Oshkosh during the year 2000.
According to Williams, the "V-JET II"
will be used primarily to demonstrate the new turbofan engines
over a range of flight speeds and altitudes that are expected
to be required in future turbofan-powered light aircraft.
Installation characteristics, engine performance data, noise
levels, exhaust emissions, and flight parameters will be
reviewed with the aircraft companies that are participating
in the program as members of the NASA/Williams General Aviation
Propulsion (GAP) team.
Another purpose of the "V-JET II"
flight demonstrations will be to stimulate interest on the
part of aircraft companies in designing and developing production
aircraft utilizing this new propulsion technology. Williams
said, "When the public views the 3800 lb "V-JET
II" powered with the existing small turbofan engines,
the interest will begin to build. However, later in the
program when they view this sleek aircraft powered with
extremely quiet, very low cost, light weight, high bypass
ration turbofans, the potential for a revival of the light
aircraft industry through turbofan power should certainly
be underway. I believe every light aircraft pilot dreams
of being a jet pilot. This low cost turbofan technology
can make this a reality."
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