The Polish Flaris LAR1 jet engineered by the Metal-Master company has taken to the skies for the first time from Zielona Gora Babimost airport. The purpose of the tests was to develop the optimal take-off and landing configuration and to check the efficacy of the airframe's control system and stability. Wieslaw Cena, an experienced test pilot, was at the controls.

“It was a difficult test for the plane and the whole Flaris team, but this is a milestone for the project and for the aviation industry,” says head of the Flaris programme Rafal Ladziński. “This small jet, powered by a Williams FJ33-5A engine produced in the United States, is a worldwide innovative structure. It belongs to a new category of high speed personal jets. The price of the aircraft and its operation costs will be a quarter of current market prices for planes in the light jet category.”

The Flaris LAR1 is designed for holders of a PPL and can take off and land on short grass airports. It flies at a speed comparable to passenger aircraft (770km/h TAS at FL250, 7600m). The aircraft's anticipated range is up to 3,000 km.