Karnataka   

A `civilian F-18' comes at Rs. 13.23 crore

Anand Sankar

Bangalore: So you own a Ferrari? Now that Ratan Tata has set the benchmark for India's corporate elite by flying the F-16 and F/A-18 fighter aircraft, expect more bigwigs to attempt similar feats. It is something to ride aboard one of these aircraft but another thing to own one. All it will take is $ 3 million (Rs. 13.23 crore) only.

At a corner of the Aero India 2007 venue, a company called Action Aviation is selling a personal sporty jet. Nicknamed a "civilian F-18", it the ATG Javelin manufactured in Colorado. The aircraft is due to be certified for delivery in 2009 and the company says it is taking orders now. The aircraft features two Williams FJ33-4-18M turbofan engines that take it to Mach 0.92, almost the speed of sound. It has a range of 1,200 nautical miles and if you want to feel the force of gravity, you can climb at 9,000 feet per minute. It seats two but does not feature ejection seats because it is a civilian aircraft.

"We are marketing it as a personal jet. You can call it a Ferrari of the skies. It is ideal for someone who already owns an executive jet," says Hamish Harding, Chairman of Action Aviation.

The other products being offered by the company are the Sino Swearingen SJ30 business jet and the MD Explorer helicopter priced at $ 6.5 million and $ 6 million respectively. The MD Explorer has no tail rotor as it uses NOTAR technology.

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