US manufacturer Cougar Aircraft Corp. has acquired the assets of the GA-7 Cougar light twin prop executive aircraft, designed and formerly produced by military and corporate jet manufacturer Grumman Gulfstream Aviation. Cougar now owns the FAA type certificate, production fixtures and technology needed to build this aircraft, which is aimed at both the training market and as a platform for the next generation of personal airborne mobility.

The company says that the GA-7 offers a long service life for its main wing spar at 42,000 hours compared to a typical 12,000 hours. This means more profitable in-flight hours and less frequent aircraft fleet replacements.

"The aviation training market has exploded with airline demand, and it is forecast that training over 800,000 pilots worldwide will generate a need for several thousand new aircraft. That adds up to potential sales of five billion dollars over the next 15 years, but currently demand has increased such that one general aviation aircraft manufacturer is facing a back order for 700. Demand for appropriate training aircraft for pilots is most acute in the rapidly growing Asia Pacific region," it adds.

With multiple markets, including training and light aviation, along with transportation innovation, Cougar Aircraft Corp believes that the GA-7 could generate substantial profits in both the short and extended term. "The Cougar is a well-established aircraft that offers a reliable and profitable training platform. With its robust construction, the aircraft can also handle the real-life flight testing required to advance to the next stages in alternative propulsion," it says.

Two modified Cougars have already flown with experimental powerplants and Cougar Aircraft envisions that the GA-7 will be able to integrate into a system such that travellers can be airborne for longer trip lengths, and then pinpointed to final destinations through local VTOL links.

Cougar Aircraft is expanding its partner network and actively seeking new business growth opportunities and additional investment to expand production for a market that is clearly hungry for more aircraft.