Sport Jet II

{{Short description|American homebuilt aircraft}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Use American English|date=January 2022}}  {{Infobox aircraft | name = Sport Jet II | logo = | logo_size = | image = | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Amateur-built aircraft | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United States | manufacturer = Excel Jet<br />Sport-Jet, Limited | design_group = | designer = Bob Bornhofen | builder = | issuer = | status = Development ended (2015) | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 1<ref name="FAAReg">{{cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=&Modeltxt=SPORT-JET&PageNo=1|title = Sport-Jet Make / Model Inquiry Results|accessdate = 30 September 2012|last = Federal Aviation Administration|author-link = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 30 September 2012}}</ref> | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = May 12, 2006<ref>{{cite news |url= http://airportjournals.com/maverick-jet-creator-witnesses-first-flight-of-new-sport-jet-vlj/ |title= Maverick Jet Creator Witnesses First Flight Of New Sport-Jet VLJ |date= June 1, 2006 |work= Airport Journals}}</ref> | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = }} The '''Sport Jet II''' was an American amateur-built aircraft that was under development by Sport-Jet, Limited. The Sport Jet was designed by Robert Bornhofen who licensed the intellectual property to Excel Jet. The aircraft was intended to be supplied as a kit for amateur construction.<ref name="WDLA11">Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011–12'', page 101. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X</ref><ref name="WDLA15">Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015–16'', page 127. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}</ref> The first Sport Jet built crashed on takeoff after logging 23.8 hours of flight time.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20060626X00812&ntsbno=DEN06LA090&akey=1|title=National Transportation Safety Board investigation DEN06LA090|date=2006-06-29|website=NTSB}}</ref>

==Design and development== The Sport Jet II featured a cantilever mid-wing, a four-seat enclosed and pressurized cabin, retractable tricycle landing gear, a T-tail and a single jet engine.<ref name="WDLA11"/><ref name="WDLA15"/>

The aircraft fuselage was made from composites, with the wing fashioned from aluminum sheet. Its {{convert|34|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span employed a NACA 64-415 airfoil, had an area of {{convert|165|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} and mounted flaps. The standard engine recommended was the {{convert|2200|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D turbofan, although when under development by Excel Jet a Williams FJ33 4A was used. The engine was mounted in the aft fuselage and was provided air by two intakes, one on each side of the fuselage.<ref name="WDLA11"/><ref name="WDLA15"/><ref name="Incomplete">{{Cite web|url = http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html|title = The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage|accessdate = 3 January 2012|last = Lednicer|first = David|author-link = |year = 2010|archive-date = April 20, 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100420012244/http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="Specs">{{cite web|url = http://sportjetair.com/sample-page/|title = Technical|accessdate = 30 September 2012|last = Sport-Jet, Limited|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141206022826/http://sportjetair.com/sample-page/|archive-date= 6 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The prototype aircraft's Federal Aviation Administration aircraft registration was cancelled on 4 June 2013.<ref name="FAARegN350SJ">{{cite web|url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=350SJ|title = N-Number Inquiry Results N350SJ|accessdate = 26 May 2017|last = Federal Aviation Administration|author-link = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 26 May 2017}}</ref> By May 2017 the company website had been blanked and it is likely that the project has been cancelled.<ref name="Official">{{cite web|url = http://sportjetair.com/|title = SportJetAir Home Page|accessdate = 26 May 2017|work = sportjetair.com|date = }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.sportjetair.com|title= Sport-Jet, Ltd: Official Site of Sport Jet II |access-date= 28 September 2022|author= Sport-Jet, Ltd|work= sportjetair.com|year= 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130720175513/http://www.sportjetair.com/|archive-date= 20 July 2013|url-status= dead}}</ref>

==Accident== On 22 June 2006 at 0953 hours local time, the Sport Jet prototype was destroyed in a crash just after take-off at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS). According to reports, the plane lifted approximately fifteen feet into the air before rotating left to 90° of bank, at which point the left wing contacted the ground, causing the plane to cartwheel off the runway before coming to rest 454 feet from the initial point of impact. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation concluded it could find no cause for the accident, focusing mostly on disproving the pilot and owner's assertions that the crash was caused by wake turbulence. The NTSB used NASA's APA program to compute the location and strength of the wake turbulence the previous plane (a de Havilland Dash-8-200) would have left behind, and found there was no contributing wake involved in the crash.<ref name=":0" />

Excel-Jet filed a lawsuit against the FAA stating that the crash was a direct result of the wake turbulence from the DHC-8, and that the NTSB findings were incorrect. Bornhofen believed the FAA air traffic control clearance of the Sport-Jet for take-off was in violation of the FAA's regulations "and caused it to crash", according to lawyer Frank Coppola.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://generalaviationnews.com/2007/11/09/excel-jet-sues-faa-for-sport-jet-crash/|title=Excel-Jet sues FAA for Sport-Jet crash|date=2007-11-09|work=General Aviation News|access-date=2018-05-04|language=en-US}}</ref> At the conclusion of the case, US District Judge Kathryn H. Vratil found that "in electing not to apply the three-minute separation interval, [the air traffic controller] did not breach her duty of care or violate FAA orders. Furthermore, even if a breach occurred, a wake turbulence encounter did not cause the accident. Therefore the Court finds in favor of the United States of America." A judgment was entered in favor of the defendant and the case was closed on 17 June 2010.<ref>United States District Court for the District of Colorado, [https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/591463b9add7b0493426b3f9 Civil Action No. 07-cv-02181-KHV-BNB, EXCEL-JET, LTD v. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA]</ref>

==Specifications (Sport Jet II) == {{Aircraft specs |ref=Bayerl and Sport-Jet, Limited<ref name="WDLA11" /><ref name="Specs" /> |prime units?=kts  |genhide=

|crew=one |capacity=four-five passengers |length m= |length ft=30 |length in= |length note= |span m= |span ft=34 |span in= |span note= |height m= |height ft=9.6 |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=165 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil=NACA 64-415 |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=2900 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb=5250 |gross weight note= |fuel capacity={{convert|220|u.s.gal}} |more general=  |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D |eng1 type=turbofan |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf=2200 |eng1 note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh= |max speed mph= |max speed kts=420 |max speed note= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts=380 |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts=67 |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |range km= |range miles=1400 |range nmi= |range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft=28000 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin=3000 |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft=30 |wing loading note= |power/mass= |thrust/weight= |more performance= |avionics= }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20130720175513/http://www.sportjetair.com/ Official website archives] on Archive.org

Category:Homebuilt aircraft Category:Single-engined jet aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 2006 Category:Mid-wing aircraft Category:T-tail aircraft