Foxjet ST600

The ST600 was of familiar business jet configuration, with a low wing, cruciform tail, swept flying surfaces, and engines mounted on pods on the sides of the rear fuselage. The intentions of the project were to create a practical business jet small enough and light enough to take advantage of smaller airfields at a cost of around half of what full-size business jets of the day were selling for. Fuel costs were touted as being as low as nine cents a mile in 1977, compared to fifty cents a mile or higher for contemporary aircraft.{{cite magazine |magazine=Popular Science |title=9 cent a mile executive business jet |date=October 1977}}

73 orders for the aircraft were taken with Bill Lear ordering the first example.

Three mockups were constructed and were widely displayed at aviation shows around the United States in the late 1970s by Tony Fox with slipping first flight schedules.{{cite journal |journal=Flight International |author=Cliff Barnett |date=22 August 1977 |accessdate=1 June 2014 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/search.aspx?ArchiveSearchForm%24search=Oshkosh+Sport+Aircraft+Galore&ArchiveSearchForm%24fromYear=1977&ArchiveSearchForm%24toYear=1977&x=19&y=13 |title=Oshkosh Sport Aircraft Galore |issn=0015-3710 |page=573- |format=PDF-2.3 Mb}}{{cite journal |journal=Air Progress |date=November 1978 |page=94 |volume= 40 |number= 11}} (40th Anniversary Issue) The project got as far as Foxjet contracting Aeronca to construct the prototype. The engines, however, proved a major stumbling block. The tiny Williams Research type WR44 turbofan that had made the project possible received certification for use in a passenger-carrying aircraft, but due to its selection as the powerplant for cruise missiles, the United States government blocked non-military use of the engine.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} Without a suitable alternative available, the project could not proceed.

In 2006, a Foxjet mockup was exhibited at the AOPA expo at Palm Springs, Florida by Millennium Aerospace, which had purchased rights to the design in May. The company announced plans to resurrect the design and market it with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615 engines.

The original prototype was eventually purchased by Lyle Anderson, of Princeton, Minnesota from a used motorcycle dealership in Minneapolis and prior to that, it stood in front of a car dealership. In 2010 it was put in Anderson's front yard, and was a participant in the Rum River Festival parade prior to relocation to Princeton Airport.{{cite web |title=Foxjet Now a Historic Lawn Ornament |url=http://www.eaa.org/news/2010/2010-05-13_foxjet.asp |website=EAA |accessdate=8 July 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516011940/http://www.eaa.org/news/2010/2010-05-13_foxjet.asp |archivedate=16 May 2010 |date=13 May 2010}}

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1980–81Taylor 1980, p. 338.

|prime units?=imp

|genhide=

|crew=1–2

|capacity=4–5 passengers

|length m=

|length ft=31

|length in=10

|length note=

|span m=9.64

|span ft=

|span in=

|span note=

|height m=3.12

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=125.0

|wing area note=

|aspect ratio=8:1

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=2408

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=

|max takeoff weight lb=4550

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity={{convert|218|USgal|L|abbr=on}}

|more general=

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=Williams Research WR44-800

|eng1 type= turbofan

|eng1 kn=

|eng1 lbf=850

|eng1 note=

|power original=

|thrust original=

|more power=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=

|max speed mach=

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=410

|cruise speed kts=

|cruise speed note=(max cruise), {{convert|329|mph|kn km/h|abbr=on}} (normal cruise)

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=85

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note=(flaps down)

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|minimum control speed kmh=

|minimum control speed mph=

|minimum control speed kts=

|minimum control speed note=

|range km=

|range miles=1400

|range nmi=

|range note=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=41000

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|glide ratio=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=3400

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|more performance=*Take-off run to 50 ft (15 m): {{convert|2700|ft|m|abbr=on}}

• Landing run from 50 ft (15 m): {{convert|1860|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|avionics=

}}

{{aircontent

|see also=

|related=

|similar aircraft=

• Cessna Citation I
• Gulfstream American Hustler
• Learjet 25

|lists=

}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite magazine |title=Aeronca to Build Foxjet |magazine=Flight International |date=28 January 1978 |page=230 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1978/1978%20-%200148.html |accessdate=2008-03-27 }}
• {{cite magazine |last=Field |first=Hugh |author2=Mike Hirst |title=America's big-business show |magazine=Flight International |date=15 October 1977 |pages=1117–1118 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1977/1977%20-%203091.html |accessdate=2008-03-27 }}
• {{cite magazine |title=Foxjet delayed |magazine=Flight International |date=7 April 1979 |page=1047 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1979/1979%20-%201093.html |accessdate=2008-03-27 }}
• {{cite magazine |title=Foxjet: low cost, high style |magazine=Flight International |date=21 May 1977 |page=1402 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1977/1977%20-%201486.html |accessdate=2008-03-27 }}
• {{cite magazine |title=Foxjet to fly in January, says Fox |magazine=Flight International |date=24 June 1978 |page=1911 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1978/1978%20-%201019.html |accessdate=2008-03-27 }}
• {{cite magazine |last=Goodman |first=Warren |title=Business before pleasure at Reading 1977 |magazine=Flight International |date=2 July 1977 |page=22 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1977/1977%20-%202016.html |accessdate=2008-03-27 }}
• {{cite book|editor-last=Taylor|editor-first=John W. R.|editor-link=John W. R. Taylor|title=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1980–81|year=1980|publisher=Jane's Publishing Company|location=London|isbn=0-7106-0705-9}}
• {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |page=411 |isbn= 0-7106-0710-5 }}

• [http://www.machdiamonds.com/foxjet.html Luc Van Bavel Design website Foxjet history page]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100516011940/http://www.eaa.org/news/2010/2010-05-13_foxjet.asp EAA Foxjet news]
• [https://minijets.org/fr/300-500/williams-wr44/projet-foxjet-st600/ Minijets website Foxjet ST-600 page]

Category:1970s United States business aircraft