Visitors to the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in Atlanta in October got the first public look at the results of a major transformation from the original proof-of-concept PiperJet. Even the name has changed. It’s now the PiperJet Altaire, and the new look and functionality are much more jetlike than the original’s. The basics of price, performance and ramp size remain the same, and the Altaire will still be powered by a single, tail-mounted Williams International FJ44-3A turbofan. But that’s about it. Pretty much everything else has changed from yesterday’s prototype, which has been flying since July 2008.
When Piper first conceived of its idea for a “very light” or “personal” jet, the competitive field was crowded. And the idea of small-jet travel was generating great excitement — not only within the general aviation press, but in the mainstream media as well. Piper would be left way behind if it didn’t come up with something to compete for headlines with the likes of Cessna and its Mustang, Eclipse, Diamond, Cirrus, Adam and others. But attrition has thinned that field significantly since then, and for some of the survivors, the economic crisis has pushed light-jet development to the back burner. The dramatically redesigned Altaire demonstrates that Piper remains committed to pressing on with its jet-powered ambitions.
