Saker S-1

I used to think that the ViperJet looked like the most fun a civilian could have, short of a military plane and its headaches (and I still want one just because it's cheap for a jet aircraft), but I have since found the Saker S-1. Sweet jesus do I want one of these things.

The Saker S-1 uses a military style design (it looks like a mini F-15), is a two seater, and if they achieve their speed goals will be the fastest thing in the skies that is non-military. It's powered by two Williams FJ44-4 turbofans, with a 500 gallon internal fuel capacity. You can also fit two 100 gallon external fuel tanks.

The FJ44-4 is built by Williams International/Rolls Royce for the light business jet market. The FJ44 first flew in the 1980s, with variants being developed in the 1990s on. The 44-4 is a 3600 lbf engine currently only used on the Cessna CJ4. With a pair of them, the SK-1 will be able to operate off runways as short as 1500 feet, and will get a 14,000 foot per minute climb rate, to its ceiling of 45,000 feet.

The 500 gallons of internal fuel will give the SK-1 a range of 1600 miles, and with the two external tanks, that is extended to 2200 miles. Cruising speed will be Mach 0.95, and top speed will be Mach 0.99. It will have an empty weight of 5500 pounds, and maximum payload of 6,000 pounds.

FAA Certification will come under Part 23, which covers small aircraft. That means no special training would be required to fly it. It will also come with the option of ejection seats.

Saker is currently taking preorders, with the price expected to be between $5-7 million. There are doubts as to whether it will make production, but hopefully they will.

www.flyingmag.com...
www.gizmag.com...

reply to post by Zaphod58


Damn that is a sweet machine!
Now where did I put that spare 7 million....

reply to post by VikingWarlord


I know, right! Anyone want to do a timeshare?

reply to post by Zaphod58


Kinda reminds me of the BD-10. Which more resembled a MIG 29. But that plane never really took either.

I think that the price range for such a toy is too much.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Drool, drool, drool ... damn shorted out the keyboard!

That is nice. I wonder if the sneaked in a few hardpoints.

P

reply to post by TDawgRex


Considering what people pay for a retired MiG, or even a VLJ I think this fits right into that niche. Hopefully they'll be able to produce it.

...although, the company points out, ejection seats will be offered as an option.

abecedarian

...although, the company points out, ejection seats will be offered as an option.

edit on 9/14/2013 by abecedarian because: (no reason given)

I wonder if they will eject both seats at once or if you will select which one goes off.

Would be a way to get some peace and quiet from a nagging wife or GF.

P

reply to post by pheonix358


In a military aircraft they have both a command ejection setting, which determines which cockpit can start the ejection, as well as an option to eject one seat, or both seats when the handle is pulled.

This is what I'd be afraid of:

Lieutenant Keith Gallagher's Account:
Murphy's Law says, "Whatever can go wrong, will, and when you least expect it." (And, of course, we all know that Murphy was an aviator.) Murphy was correct beyond his wildest dreams in my case. Fortunately for me, however, he failed to follow through. On my 26th birthday I was blindsided by a piece of bad luck the size of Texas that should have killed me. Luckily, it was followed immediately by a whole slew of miracles that allowed me to be around for my 27th. Not even Murphy could have conceived of such a bizarre accident (many people still find it hard to believe), and the fact that I am here to write about it makes it that much more bizarre. We were the overhead tanker, one third of the way through cruise, making circles in the sky. Although the tanker pattern can be pretty boring midway through the cycle, we were alert and maintaining a good lookout doctrine because out air wing had a midair less than a week before, and we did not want to repeat. We felt we were ready for "any" emergency: fire lights, hydraulic failures and fuel transfer problems. Bring 'em on! We were ready for them. After all, how much trouble can two JO's get in overhead the ship? After my third fuel update call, we decided that the left outboard drop was going to require a little help in order to transfer. NATOPS recommends applying positive and negative G to force the valve open. As the pilot pulled the stick back I wondered how many times we would have to porpoise the nose of the plane before the valve opened. As he moved the stick forward, I felt the familiar sensation of negative "G", and then something strange happened: my head touched the canopy. For a brief moment I thought that I had failed to tighten my lap belts, but I knew that wasn't true. Before I could complete that thought, there was a loud bang, followed by wind, noise, disorientation and more wind, wind, wind. Confusion reigned in my mind as I was forced back against my seat, head against the headrest, arms out behind me, the wind roaring in my head, pounding against my body. "Did the canopy blow off? Did I eject? Did my windscreen implode?" All of these questions occurred to me amidst the pandemonium in my mind and over my body. These questions were quickly answered, and replaced by a thousand more, as I looked down and saw a sight that I will never forget: the top of the canopy, close enough to touch, and through the canopy I could see the top of my pilot's helmet. It took a few moments for this image to sink into my suddenly overloaded brain.

www.truthorfiction.com...

reply to post by Zaphod58


Great story. One lucky guy!

P

reply to post by Zaphod58


You can always get a decent F-5 Freedom Fighter or T-38 Talon. There are always tons of them for sale. And they can do up to Mach 1.6 without costing you anything close to $5 million.

reply to post by allenidaho


The problem with all military aircraft is spares. With this you won't have that problem.

Zaphod58
reply to post by allenidaho

 

The problem with all military aircraft is spares. With this you won't have that problem.

Very true Zaphod. I think some of this is because things just fall off Military jets .... like bombs and drop tanks. Then you have to turn around and replace them.

P

reply to post by pheonix358


Well, to be fair, those are SUPPOSED to fall off. It's the things that fall off that AREN'T supposed to that are a problem.