will Kestrel ever make a plane?

Badger

Badger

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article from today


It seems they are 90 days late in loan payments. I'm sure financial concerns are normal for a start up, but on the other hand, I can see this ending without a single plane being produced. Hope I'm wrong
 
Maybe they should go ask the guys at Icon how they do it? ;)
 
Icon is an interesting example, considering that their market is likely smaller in monetary value. Not only they made the airplane after all, they managed to swing FAA in their favour, which I am sure took heavy diplomacy. The series of significant redesigns must have took heavy financial toll on investors, and yet they are still afloat without a Chinese sugar daddy. Amazing!

Note that Vern's company ran out of money after they started delivering airplanes, so of course Icon still has ample opportunities to fail.
 
zaitcev said:
Icon is an interesting example, considering that their market is likely smaller in monetary value. Not only they made the airplane after all, they managed to swing FAA in their favour, which I am sure took heavy diplomacy. The series of significant redesigns must have took heavy financial toll on investors, and yet they are still afloat without a Chinese sugar daddy. Amazing!

Note that Vern's company ran out of money after they started delivering airplanes, so of course Icon still has ample opportunities to fail.
Click to expand...

From Icon Wikipedia.

On June 20, 2013, the company announced that it had organized production funding of over US$60 million, with final funds being provided by a Chinese investor.[13]
 
Chinese investment is a reality in aviation today like Japanese investment in real estate was a reality in the 80's/90's - this stuff takes a lot of money.

No comparison between the ICON A5 and the Kestrel, one is (will be) an LSA, the other is (might be) an 8,500 lb, 1,000shp, pressurized, de-ice Part 23 turboprop.

If anyone can make Kestrel work it is Alan Klapmeier, but the fact is there hasn't been a successful new-design Part 23 start-up in more than 50 years (jury is still out on Cirrus IMO since they are still basically scraping by, Eclipse took $2B - spent $3B - and left wide swaths of the industry holding the bag while delivering only 230 or so planes - although the new team seems to be doing all the right things).

I have flown the Epic LT (kit very similar to the Kestrel - long story there) and it was a damn impressive machine (fastest and highest I have flown) but the scamming that went on under the previous Mgmt there was remarkable (Epic is also under new ownership now, with Russian money I believe).

I hope that Alan and company pull it off, but the economic/regulatory environment makes a normally difficult thing near impossible any more.

'Gimp
 
On the other side, I herd several months ago that the state of Wisconson was lagging behind on several of its obligations to Kestrel. The city government in Superior seemed to have its act together while Madison twiddled their thumbs.
 
I think Epic took the lead in this race. Russian backing and well on the way to certification.
 
Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
It will be nice to see the LT/Dynasty on the market but it's a 6 seater and the Kestrel will seat up to 8.
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Ahh, didn't realize the Kestrel seated 8. Thought they were both 6. That should make the Kestral at least a little more desirable to future customers. I like both planes and wish them the best of luck. Unless I win the lottery though, they're way outside my price range.
 
Kestrel was going pt drop a Garrett in eh? Nice!
 
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