All-new design airplanes from startup companies are often called “paper airplanes” because the company has no track record of producing any kind of airplane. So when you design a paper airplane, you should shoot for the moon, and Stratos, a new would-be jet maker in Bend, Oregon, has with its Model 714 personal jet. For 2-million bucks per copy Stratos says the 714 will carry four people and baggage for 1,500 nm cruising at 41,000 feet with IFR reserves. Stratos accurately points out that no existing or planned airplane can do all of that.
The Stratos 714 is the brainchild of Carsten Sundin, who has had long involvement with the kit plane maker Lancair, and entrepreneur Michael Lamaire. The Stratos formula is to provide only four seats, high speed and very long range, clearly an airplane that owner-pilots want. To achieve their goals the airplane will be very lightweight because of its composite construction. And the performance will come from plenty of power, 3,030 pounds of thrust from a single Williams FJ44-3AP turbofan engine. With a projected maximum takeoff weight of 7,000 pounds the 714 would have a thrust-to-weight ratio of 2.3 to 1, which is more thrust per pound of airplane than even the speedy Mach .92 Citation X. Typical twin-engine jets have thrust-to-weight ratios of around 3 to 1. Clearly such a power-to-weight ratio would get the 714 to its certified ceiling of 41,000 feet quickly. And if you want to leave friends behind, promised IFR range is 2,000 nm with only two onboard.
