The Scaled Composites Sierra (Model 401) is an American

experimental aircraft An experimental aircraft is an aircraft intended for testing new aerospace technologies and design concepts. The term ''research aircraft'' or ''testbed aircraft'', by contrast, generally denotes aircraft modified to perform scientific studies, ...

, designed and produced by Scaled Composites of Mojave Spaceport,

Mojave, California Mojave (formerly Mohave) is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Kern County, California, United States. Mojave is located east of Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield, and north of Los Angeles, at an elevation of . The town is ...

, introduced in 2017. The two examples built were constructed for an unnamed customer to demonstrate "advanced, low-cost manufacturing techniques" for the production of research aircraft for both industry and government. First flight was on 11 October 2017.

Design and development

The Model 401 is a single-seat experimental prototype of broadly conventional configuration. The

pressurized {{Wiktionary Pressurization or pressurisation is the application of pressure in a given situation or environment. Industrial Industrial equipment is often maintained at pressures above or below atmospheric. Atmospheric This is the process by ...

cockpit is enclosed by a bubble canopy and the plane incorporates a single

jet engine A jet engine is a type of reaction engine discharging a fast-moving jet of heated gas (usually air) that generates thrust by jet propulsion. While this broad definition can include rocket, Pump-jet, water jet, and hybrid propulsion, the term ...

and retractable

tricycle landing gear Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle g ...

. A low-wing

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a canti ...

monoplane, it has lightly swept constant-chord wings with trapezoidal inner sections. It has a butterfly or V tail. The aircraft is made from

composite material A composite material (also called a composition material or shortened to composite, which is the common name) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or ...

. It has a span wing and a fuselage also of in length. Empty weight is and gross take off weight is . The engine used is a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5D powerplant, producing of thrust.

Specifications (401)

References

External links

Official first flight press release
{{Scaled Composites

401 __NOTOC__ Year 401 ( CDI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vincentius and Fravitus (or, less frequently, year 1154 ' ...

Low-wing aircraft Experimental aircraft Aircraft first flown in 2017 Single-engined jet aircraft 2010s United States experimental aircraft V-tail aircraft Stealth aircraft