A business jet developed jointly by Taiwan and the United States, claiming to be the world's fastest executive aircraft, has been certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) said on Friday, according to DPA. The twin-engine SJ30-2 was certified by the FAA on Thursday clearing the way for the mass production of the 5.5 million dollar, seven-seater jet, CNA reported from Washington. Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation (SSAC) has received orders for 280 SJ30-2 from the U.S., Canada, Britain, Germany and Switzerland, with the first aircraft to be delivered in spring next year, according to CNA. Taiwan built the IDF warplane for its air force and makes components for passenger jets manufactured by Boeing and Airbus, but the country has not yet manufactured a passenger aircraft. The SJ30-2 has attracted worldwide attention amid SSAC claims that, with a cruise speed of Mach 0.78 and a range of 4,500 kilometres, it is the world's fastest executive jet which also has the longest range. Calling it "a milestone for Taiwan's aeronautics industry", SSAC's Taiwanese chairman Kuo Ching-chiang said he hoped Taiwan would benefit from the transfer of U.S. technology. Based in San Antonio, Texas, SSAC is a joint venture between the Swearingen Aircraft Corporation and Taiwan's Sino Aerospace Investment Corporation, which has a 95 per cent stake. Manufacturing takes place in West Virginia.
