Vickers Aircraft USA has unveiled the FAST4, an all-carbon-fiber, four-seat single-engine piston aircraft.
Building on more than a decade of composite development from the company’s amphibious WAVE Light-Sport Aircraft, the FAST4 incorporates advanced manufacturing processes intended to decrease build time and production expenses, according to company officials. The low-wing aircraft also integrates folding wings designed to reduce required hangar floor space by half.
“FAST4 has been on our drawing board for some time,” said Paul Vickers, CEO of Vickers Aircraft USA. “We have monitored what pilots are asking for: Performance, useful load, range, and safety in an aircraft that is affordable to own. Now we are bringing those ideas together in one exciting new aircraft.”
Performance specifications released by company officials include a targeted maximum cruise speed of 235 KTAS, a 1,300-nautical-mile range with four adults and full fuel, a 1,520-pound useful load, and a 102-gallon fuel capacity. The IFR-capable design includes an integrated BRS airframe recovery parachute system and provisions to support Garmin Autoland systems.
Vickers plans to produce the aircraft at an upcoming U.S. manufacturing facility alongside the WAVE, taking advantage of the FAA MOSAIC regulatory framework to streamline certification and production timelines.
For more information: VickersAircraft.com
What will determine the ultimate success (or failure) of this comes down to money. There has to be enough money to see this through, to eventually produce flying airplanes which can be sold at an adequate profit. The engineering can be top notch, the airplane can be a winner, but if the underlying finance is inadequate or has “issues”, the game is over. I’ve seen several aircraft companies go under, not because of the product, but because of finance. Murphy (Moose, Rebel) is suddenly gone because the overseas owner got caught playing games with the money. There was a supersonic bizjet which had years of development, spent megabucks to get there and was about to start cutting metal, they had a facility all set up in Melbourne (FL), the backers backed out and in just a couple of days, bang, it was all over. I was peripherally involved with another one (some consulting), they had a knockout flying prototype, the backers got cold feet and it was liquidated a few months ago for pennies on the dollar. The designer (who I have been intermittently in contact with for 20 years) hopefully got the IP, and if he did, I know he will try again (this is the third time this has happened to him – that I know of – he is certainly persistent.) There are three constants in life: Death, taxes, and if you want to make a small fortune in aviation, start with a large one. I do wish Mr. Vickers luck and I hope he has a good accountant.
This plane will never see the light of day nor will the Wave that first flew in 2022.
Subsequent development since 2022 of the Wave of key components like landing gear, folding wings is for some reason stalled…it does not take 4 years to do these components.
I would not take this article seriously nor would I make a deposit on a plane with Vickers