Why?

Name one task that is easier with one engine than two.

Mike C.

Sustained level flight at less than 70 KCAS in a certified jet.

Sustained level flight at less than 70 KCAS in a certified jet.

Writing a monthly payment check.

Surely sign-offs aren't given predicated on the autopilot always working? Does flying the airplane without the autopilot take so much attention that it slows to a crawl learning about other topics?
Ashley

Ashley,
The Old Eclipse type course was very regimented. You had one week of ground school no exceptions

So it was two weeks to fly the plane and get proficient. You couldn't fly three times a day or when it was IFR so you didn't fly everyday.

I think there are at least 4 approaches on a type ride and typically you only have to hand fly one ILS. Back in the day we had to hand fly all the approaches.

It's an easy plane to fly but to hand fly to ATP precision is intense.

Today I don't think that there is an easier plane to get typed in.

Thanks for the extra details Andy - Ashley

It's not a jet. It's an airplane.

We need as much new blood in aviation as we can get, both new airframes and the people who buy them. Sure, the life cycle of SF50 ownership will be short for many, and a few will drop out of aviation... but most will upgrade to a M2 or a Phenom 100... if I was Cessna or Embraer I'd be cheering them on!

Or MU2.

That is why Mike C is upset, the SF50 buyer isn't likely to upgrade to an MU2!

Many people buy things that make no fiscal sense. They buy it because they want it and have the means to. Does anyone need a Bugatti Veyron? No, it doesn't carry 7 passengers, gets horrible mileage, expensive to insure, hard to find a place to work on it, But they sell every single one made and have a waiting list for people to plunk their money down. Simply they want one.

Any super car is just that, I have the money, I want one, not because it makes sense. There are many cars that are more practical.

I think many buyers of the SF50 are at a level that can afford it. It's like their nice expensive car inside, they want one. Do they need one, is it the fastest, best, most efficient? No, but they can go to the Polo club and talk about their jet while sipping mint juleps.

If I had the money, I'd have one. Why? It will fit in a standard hangar, is way faster than my current plane, is not a recip (that is huge right there, no worries about all the idiosyncrasies of a piston), it's finished very well, has a great customer service base, and looks to be a great little owner piloted plane.

The SF50 is like Audi R8. It has super car performance but easily a daily driver, expensive but attainable, uses switches and parts from their other cars keeping some costs down, has a great dealer network. Not everyone needs the Veyron. They want the one that makes sense for them.

The SF50 will do well. It's not the fastest, most efficient, biggest, flashiest, but there are plenty of people that have the money and want one anyway.

Or he thinks it might fit in his MU-2 and he can use it for short hops after he lands

I know that was a joke, but I get the impression posters have not seen one in person. Its a big plane. 39 wing 31 long. MU2 is 39 wing and 33 long. Cabin is much more spacious on SF50.

I have only seen a mock up of the SF50, and that was a long time ago. The MU2 seems rather roomy to me, with the ability to move around. How does the SF50 compare?

Tim