Flaris Starts FJ33 Runs as LAR 01 Nears First Flight

With assistance from the Williams International engineering team, Flaris has started engine run tests of the FJ-335A installed in the first LAR 01 prototype that it plans to fly this summer. The tests are being conducted on S/N 7 at the company’s headquarters in Podgórzyn, Poland.

During a static test run earlier this month, S/N 7's FJ33 turbofan was positively checked throughout the entire power range on the single-engine jet. Full integration of gearbox-driven accessories is expected in the “upcoming weeks,” Flaris said.

Initial LAR 01 test flights are expected to be conducted with the aircraft unpressurized. However, Flaris said that the ventilation and pressurization unit is “already well advanced.” This system uses precooled bleed air, with pressurization control via a double-outflow valve located in the aft cabin bulkhead.

Meanwhile, other aircraft systems are being developed. These include the aircraft’s safety parachute, which is intended as a multistage system that can be deployed throughout the whole operational speed range. According to Flaris, the parachute mounting hard points and the parachute container are already installed on the test airframes.

LAR 01 S/Ns 5 and 7 are dedicated for flight test, while the S/N 6 airframe will be used as a static fatigue ground test article. First flight is "on track" for this summer, Flaris said.