Design and Development
It was announced on 17 October 2001 at the Seoul Air Show. Design supervision was by the late Desmond Norman, co-designer of the Britten-Norman Islander. The first metal cut was scheduled in January 2004; the first of two prototypes expected to fly in May 2005, but this has been postponed indefinitely, pending adequate funding.
By December 2007, plans were in hand for the formal programme launch in April 2008 following the signature of letter of intent by Turkish freight carrier ACT Airlines Group for 15 aircraft to be delivered between 2011 and 2021. Simultaneously, there was an announced partnership agreement for distribution of the Skylander in Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, Turkey and several Middle East countries. Progress was slowed by a change of manufacturing plant from Portugal to France during 2008, and the target in-service date remained 2011. The programme was structured for joint funding (initially USD120 million) by three risk-sharing partners, Korean Aerospace Industries being first, on 17 October 2001, to pledge USD30 million to secure responsibility for wing production.
In October 2009, a new design of the aircraft was presented. After another change of manufacturing plant location (Chambley-Bussières Air Base in Lorraine), the target date of entry into service is postponed year after year and now proposed for 2014.
On October 4, 2012, given the lack of funding, GECI Aviation Sky Aircraft later went into receivership.
Read more about this topic: GECI SK-105 Skylander
Famous quotes containing the words design and/or development:
“If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life ... for fear that I should get some of his good done to me,—some of its virus mingled with my blood.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“There are two things which cannot be attacked in front: ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They can only be shaken by the simple development of the contrary qualities. They will not bear discussion.”
—John Emerich Edward Dalberg, 1st Baron Acton (1834–1902)