Swearingen SA-28T ???

[boxkite]

US magazine "Air Progress" from July 1969 (pg 19) described this display model as "Seven-place delta-wing transonic business jet designed by Swearingen Aircraft Co. will operate just under Mach 1 with Garrett turbofans."

I assume it's the SA-28T. Can anybody confirm this?

 

[hesham]

Dear boxkite,

it is wright,it was eight seat delta wing business jet aircraft,
project of 1971.

 

[boxkite]

it is wright,it was eight seat delta wing business jet aircraft,
project of 1971.

... but released (for the first time?) in July 1969

 

[hesham]

Yes boxkite,

but the aircraft was a supersonic in my source.

 

[Jemiba]

I hope it's still visible: Published in Aviation Week, April 1969 !

 

[ChuckAnderson]

Hi Everyone!

Are there any 3-views available for the Swearingen SA-28T?

Chuck

 

[fightingirish]

No 3-view so far!


Source: Interavia Germany, November 1969, page 1773

 

[Jemiba]

Just a quick attempt, landing gear drawn according to the description in AW 1969, hinge lines of
rudders and flaps just guess work, source grade 2.
And I didn't dare to add a scale without further clues for length and span.

 

[hesham]

Good work my dear Jemiba.

 

[Stargazer]

Nice!

 

[JSiragusa]

This was sent to me by an old engineer from Swearingen. This was the prototype transonic business jet that Swearingen was building. It was canceled when Fairchild purchased controlling interest in Swearingen Aircraft in 1975. According to him it was about 9 weeks away from flying. This picture was taken shortly before the project was canceled, the aircraft was scrapped not long after cancelation.
I was searching for more information on it which led me to this thread. After reading the thread I thought I'd share the picture here. You'll see the prototype shares a common fuselage with the Metroliner. This was Ed Swearingen's plan from the beginning of the Merlin/Metro program. He wanted to design a fuselage from which he could build several aircraft, his ultimate goal being this transonic business jet. It's a shame it didn't happen.

 

[Stargazer]

Sweet serendipity! Why Fairchild cancelled it is strange, but they completely mismanaged Hiller and Republic, so I'm not really surprised they also messed with Swearingen...

 

[Kiltonge]

This was Ed Swearingen's plan from the beginning of the Merlin/Metro program. He wanted to design a fuselage from which he could build several aircraft, his ultimate goal being this transonic business jet. It's a shame it didn't happen.

Now that is interesting and explains the swept tail configuration on the Merlin / Metro, which always seemed out of place on those aircraft and would make the stalling and spinning characteristics rather odd. But if it was also to operate at transonic speeds then it makes sense...

Edit: Did Fairchild take over in 1975 or 1971? If the latter then this design might have been an interim step to the full SA-28T.


Here's a little snippet of further info from Flight in 1970

A new advanced Collins flight control system is being developed for the
Swearingen Model SA28T transonic business jet.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1970/1970%20-%200989.html

 

[Kiltonge]

Best match I can find for the engines on JSiragusa's photo is the JT15D. I think the intake is too small in diameter for TFE731, big air-gulpers with twice the mass-flow.

 

[JSiragusa]

I believe the engines mounted in the picture are CJ610s. I've read that the 610s were installed on the prototype during development and were to be used for the initial flight tests. I believe this was due to the 731s not being ready yet.

 

[hesham]

I believe the engines mounted in the picture are CJ610s. I've read that the 610s were installed on the prototype during development and were to be used for the initial flight tests. I believe this was due to the 731s not being ready yet.

May be you are right JSiragusa,that's because the aircraft developed in 1969,and the Garrett TFE731
was appeared in 1972.

 

[VictorXL188]

Further to the above, in the 1971-72 Janes All The World's Aircraft, a GA drawing was reproduced of the redesigned SA 28T as it said in the text. As has been previously mentioned the Model SA28T was to be eventually powered by a pair of TFE731-1 turbofan engines. In the text in Janes it said that the design utilized many lessons gained from supersonic aircraft studies, which Swearingen had looked at in the 1960s. As well as the shoulder-mounted delta main wing, a delta tailplane of a slab variety was planned to be used. Although the first plans of the Model SA 28T had the engines mounted on the sides of the area-ruled fuselage and indeed the photo of the complete aircraft also shows this feature, it was reported in Janes that during wind tunnel tests these had caused excessive drag, hence an under-wing arrangement had been chosen. Also as a result of this wind-tunnel testing, the wing position had been changed from the bottom of the fuselage to the shoulder position, as seen in the attached GA drawing. With an MTOW of 13,500 lb (6123 kg) the seven-seat SA 28T was expected to have a top speed of around 575 mph (925 km/h), with an estimated range of around 2,300 miles (3700 km).

 

[hesham]

Great find Victor,many thanks.

 

[hesham]

From JAWA 1969.

 

[hesham]

From Aviation magazine 1970.

 

[EdwardA]

An old thread I know, but I'll give out some data from my conversations and personal experience. The unpainted aircraft in the hanger, attached above, was the Merlin V. Mr. Swearingen told me it was a few days from 1st flight when Fairchild scrapped it. Swearingen had planned it from the beginning. To have a number of aircraft based on the same fuselage. ...piston, turboprop and jet. It obviously didn't turn out that way. He told me Fairchild had no interest in building customized aircraft in any form. That's also why they scrapped the Merlin in favor of the Metroliner.

The SA-28T, was designed from the beginning to be supersonic. The final design had a third engine on the tail. Safer for Trans-Continental travel. He was designing a variation of it when he died. He also wanted to make another variation that would go around the world non-stop....at 500 mph.

 

[hesham]

Welcome aboard EdwardA,

and new Info for me (Third Engine).

 

[EdwardA]

Hi, the final had the engines below the wings and the third engine at the bottom of the rudder. He was designing the final version when he died. He never stopped.

...but no prototype of the SA28T was ever built.

 

[EdwardA]

The small wing at the bottom right of the photo was the company's sx-300, with Allison 450hp turbine....I don't think it was the one modified by Jaffee, but I'm not sure. It was being demonstrated all over the world.

That was the first time I noticed that the wing tips were twisted downward at the ends. I asked him about it and he explained why. Very logical.

Made a hard to build kit tho...

 

[EdwardA]

Just thought I'd post the final version of the SA28T. Three engines and some wing changes. He told me the FAA didn't want him going supersonic, so it became moot. When he died, he was designing a subsonic version that was similar. Fast and long range, just subsonic.

 

[djfawcett]

EdwardA, did Swearingen happen to mention what engines he planned to use on the supersonic version?

 

[EdwardA]

EdwardA, did Swearingen happen to mention what engines he planned to use on the supersonic version?

No, everything with it stopped and he didn't say. If it had gotten further....those details might've been known. I don't know otherwise, if there's anybody that knows. He displayed some frustration thru much of it tho.....he put some real effort into the design.

 

[djfawcett]

EdwardA, did Swearingen happen to mention what engines he planned to use on the supersonic version?

No, everything with it stopped and he didn't say. If it had gotten further....those details might've been known. I don't know otherwise, if there's anybody that knows. He displayed some frustration thru much of it tho.....he put some real effort into the design.

I knew the folks at Swearingen reasonably well post Dubai investors taking over. I also know that Ed was pitching the supersonic business jet fairly hard to the president of the company at that time. Not all that long after Ed passed. Unfortunately, the Dubai folks, not the management (Pres, etc.) ran the company into the dirt. They really didn't understand the business and refused to fully turn the operation over those that did know - President - I am not mentioning his name, I am sure he would not like the notoriety of being around for the failure.

 

[Apophenia]

A was a bit of a warning sign when new CEO Anthony Power renamed Sino Swearingen Aircraft as 'Emivest Aerospace'. Established brands are only renamed only when the incomers' egos are too big to avoid succumbing to the temptation.

With the Taiwan government's stake dropping to less than 20% (and a rival PRC bid thwarted), by all means dump the 'Sino' as a revived Swearingen Aircraft Corp. But rebranding as Emivest Aerospace? That was just Anthony Power sucking up to Buti Saeed al-Ghandi. And that was the guy who thought recreating Lyon as theme park in the shadow of the Burj Dubai was a good idea ;p

 

[djfawcett]

A was a bit of a warning sign when new CEO Anthony Power renamed Sino Swearingen Aircraft as 'Emivest Aerospace'. Established brands are only renamed only when the incomers' egos are too big to avoid succumbing to the temptation.

With the Taiwan government's stake dropping to less than 20% (and a rival PRC bid thwarted), by all means dump the 'Sino' as a revived Swearingen Aircraft Corp. But rebranding as Emivest Aerospace? That was just Anthony Power sucking up to Buti Saeed al-Ghandi. And that was the guy who thought recreating Lyon as theme park in the shadow of the Burj Dubai was a good idea ;p

Power was a puppet for Buti. He was not the CEO at the time of Ed's death. Power was an advisor for the most part, and it was not him that came up with Emivest. Emivest was the name of the investing corporation that was formed. But you are right, it was a disaster in every respect when the Emivest group took over.

 

[Mark Nankivil]

Good Day All -

My son and I are on our annual Spring Break Road Trip - been doing this since he was 8 years old and now he is almost 18 and about to graduate from High School so this may be our last Spring Break trip but definitely not our last road trip!

We spent a few days in the San Antonio, TX area and stopped in at the Texas Air Museum at Stinson Airport. Imagine my delight when I came across a display case honoring Ed Swearingen and a number of display models! Anyone know the model # of the twin turboprop pusher? The last model (missing a horizontal stabilizer) is a prototype he designed for Piper - know what the model # is for this one?

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[Archibald]

Just thought I'd post the final version of the SA28T. Three engines and some wing changes. He told me the FAA didn't want him going supersonic, so it became moot. When he died, he was designing a subsonic version that was similar. Fast and long range, just subsonic.

View attachment 673123

It so uncannily looks like Dassault 1998 SSBJ... !

 

[EdwardA]

It so uncannily looks like Dassault 1998 SSBJ... !

Except his came from the early '70s.

 

[Mark Nankivil]

EdwardA, did Swearingen happen to mention what engines he planned to use on the supersonic version?

No, everything with it stopped and he didn't say. If it had gotten further....those details might've been known. I don't know otherwise, if there's anybody that knows. He displayed some frustration thru much of it tho.....he put some real effort into the design.

Good Day EdwardA -

Wondering if you might know where Swearingen's collection, and for that matter, Swearingen company documents/drawings may have gone after he passed away? Helping a friend with research on U.S. SSTs and the S28T deserves to be noted.

Thanks! Mark

 

[hesham]

My dear Mark,

as I know for Swearingen,it completed its list as SA29,SA30,SA31 up to SA32 ?.

 

[EdwardA]

EdwardA, did Swearingen happen to mention what engines he planned to use on the supersonic version?

No, everything with it stopped and he didn't say. If it had gotten further....those details might've been known. I don't know otherwise, if there's anybody that knows. He displayed some frustration thru much of it tho.....he put some real effort into the design.

Good Day EdwardA -

Wondering if you might know where Swearingen's collection, and for that matter, Swearingen company documents/drawings may have gone after he passed away? Helping a friend with research on U.S. SSTs and the S28T deserves to be noted.

Thanks! Mark

Sorry, he held a lot of his work very close. I'm not even sure that Syberjet has any of it. Other than models and news clippings he never considered any of it something he'd share. If an aircraft didn't go into production or prototype...he did it in his head. I asked about that once, he told me he designed airplanes at night...in bed, staring at the ceiling. No paper unless something was being made. He had no problem retaining that kind of detail in his mind. Every single part. Not much sleep. I wanted to digitize missing data, he wouldn't have it.

 

[bobtdwarf]

EdwardA, did Swearingen happen to mention what engines he planned to use on the supersonic version?

No, everything with it stopped and he didn't say. If it had gotten further....those details might've been known. I don't know otherwise, if there's anybody that knows. He displayed some frustration thru much of it tho.....he put some real effort into the design.

I knew the folks at Swearingen reasonably well post Dubai investors taking over. I also know that Ed was pitching the supersonic business jet fairly hard to the president of the company at that time. Not all that long after Ed passed. Unfortunately, the Dubai folks, not the management (Pres, etc.) ran the company into the dirt. They really didn't understand the business and refused to fully turn the operation over those that did know - President - I am not mentioning his name, I am sure he would not like the notoriety of being around for the failure.

I know very little about this branch of the family(pretty much all I know is that they had an aircraft company), but fun aside they are cousins to Big Al Swearingen. The character on Deadwood is based on a real person whose grandfather is my 4X great grandfather.

 

[Mark Nankivil]

EdwardA, did Swearingen happen to mention what engines he planned to use on the supersonic version?

No, everything with it stopped and he didn't say. If it had gotten further....those details might've been known. I don't know otherwise, if there's anybody that knows. He displayed some frustration thru much of it tho.....he put some real effort into the design.

Good Day EdwardA -

Wondering if you might know where Swearingen's collection, and for that matter, Swearingen company documents/drawings may have gone after he passed away? Helping a friend with research on U.S. SSTs and the S28T deserves to be noted.

Thanks! Mark

Sorry, he held a lot of his work very close. I'm not even sure that Syberjet has any of it. Other than models and news clippings he never considered any of it something he'd share. If an aircraft didn't go into production or prototype...he did it in his head. I asked about that once, he told me he designed airplanes at night...in bed, staring at the ceiling. No paper unless something was being made. He had no problem retaining that kind of detail in his mind. Every single part. Not much sleep. I wanted to digitize missing data, he wouldn't have it.

Bummer, thanks though.... Mark

 

[OldManJoe]

Just thought I'd post the final version of the SA28T. Three engines and some wing changes. He told me the FAA didn't want him going supersonic, so it became moot. When he died, he was designing a subsonic version that was similar. Fast and long range, just subsonic.

View attachment 673123

This looks a lot like the final iteration of the Aerion AS2 design.

It's a shame the company folded just when they were ready to start building their prototype.

 

[hesham]

From Interavia 1969.