New Ultralight Jet Debuts

The Flaris LAR-01 is a new ultralight aircraft and could be the world’s fastest single-engine business jet (250-knot true air speed) that features a number of impressive statistics, including being more than a ton lighter than its competitors.  The aircraft needs just 650 feet of runway to takeoff, has an unusually short-field landing capability, and its wings are detachable.  The jet also features a 6,000-feet-per-minute climb rate.

Flaris says recent tests “confirmed the assumptions made previously” about the effectiveness of multiple systems, including its Garmin G600 avionics and Flaris Flight Assistance System flight computer, as well as the landing gear and emergency parachute system.  

CEO Rafał Ładziński said that the jet’s single rear engine—a Williams FJ33-5A turbofan—has operated “flawlessly” in different conditions with more than 100 flight hours. “We already know that the LAR-01 meets our requirements,” he said.  “It is able to transport four people to a distance of 1,550 miles in less than 3.5 hours.”

The LAR-01 has a “car-like cabin,” according to its designer, along with a Garmin G600 avionics suite that serves as a “second pilot.” It also has an emergency parachute in its nose section. 

Accommodating a pilot and four passengers, the LAR-01 has a 4,078-pound maximum takeoff weight, with a service ceiling of 46,000 feet.  Its expected range is 1,350 nautical miles, and the cost is $1.5 million.  The aircraft has an empty weight of 1,543 pounds, and it requires just a private pilot’s license.