NBAA: Piper revises design to launch VLJ Altaire.

The new jet was revealed at the NBAA Convention in Atlanta earlier today.

Randy Groom, Piper executive vice-president told Arabian Aerospace that the new evolved concept is directed at the business sector as well as the owner/operator market.

While the all-metal proof-of-concept aircraft was anchored on the rectangular Meridian turboprop fuselage with a 122cm (48in) spacer, the Altaire will feature a circular cross-section fuselage that is larger but with the same four-passenger club seat arrangement, said Groom.

Powered by the same Williams International FJ44-3AP turbofan engine, the Altaire’s wing will also have the same 13.5m (44ft) span, but with a longer chord. The aircraft’s four cabin windows on each side of the fuselage will now be oval rather than rectangular, a nod to aesthetics and a sleeker new profile from nose to tail.

The move was boosted by new owners, Brunei-based Imprimis.

  “The new ownership came in and evaluated the programme,” Groom said. “We saw the opportunity to provide more for the customer and the opportunity for platform growth. We did a restart on the programme, but with the benefit of experience on configuration.”

Piper launched the PiperJet in 2006 and began flying the proof-of-concept aircraft in 2008, accumulating 375 flight hours to date. The company had secured around 160 orders for the aircraft at $2.2 million each, a price that will stay the same for those position holders.

However the future price of the Altaire has been set at $2.5 million for the basic aircraft, with a “typically equipped” Altaire costing $2.6 million, Groom said.

Altaire will feature the same Garmin G3000 avionics as previously announced, but with a traditional control yoke rather than the proposed   sidestick controller of the PiperJet.

First deliveries are now slated for 2014 – a year later than the original Piperjet.