Williams International is launching a new engine and a new derivative here at NBAA, and three companies, including Cessna, are announcing new applications for Williams engines. The company now has engines in production or under development that cover the entire thrust range from 700 lb to 2,400 lb, leaving no sizable gaps for a competitor.

The biggest news in Las Vegas is the FJ33, an all-new 1,200 lb thrust engine. Williams is committing to certification of the FJ33, chairman and CEO Dr. Sam Williams told Show News, and it has been chosen for the Century Jet - previously designed around a single FJ44 - and for a jet version of the AeroStar. "We can deliver flight-test engines as fast as they can produce airplanes," said Dr. Williams. "We have been working on components for the engine for many years and we can come up to speed very rapidly." A prototype engine is on show here. Technologically, the FJ33 is closely related to the FJ44, with similar performance characteristics. The price of the engine "will be in proportion to the aircraft price."

The new engine is designed for small, twin-engine business or owner-flown jets. Dr. Williams is a strong believer in twin engines for business aircraft. "You will get a considerably better reception from the market, and the twin is better as far as overall performance is concerned." FAA regulations on stalling speed mean that a single-engined aircraft is penalised by an oversized wing.

The other NBAA newcomer is the FJ44-2C, an uprated 2,400 pound thrust version of the FJ44. The FJ44-2C is being developed to power Cessna's CitationJet II, also announced here. A stretched, faster, longer-range version of Cessna's successful light twin, the CitationJet II is a riposte to the Raytheon Premier and Sino-Swearingen SJ30-2. By this time next year, three manufacturers should have FJ44-powered aircraft in production.

"With the new production programs, we will be approaching the production levels that we had in the cruise missile era," said Dr. Williams. His company built 7,000 cruise-missile engines, only to see the business vanish in the aftermath of the Cold War, driving the company into the commercial business.

The FJ33 is distinct from the FJX, the 700 pound thrust engine that Williams and its partners are developing in cooperation with NASA. The FJ33 is larger, and although the FJX is designed for eventual growth to 1,000 pounds thrust, said Dr. Williams, "we've avoided talking about it, because if you talk about more thrust the airplane designer will work to that level." The FJX is also intended to be produced in much larger numbers and at lower cost than any previous jet engine; it is a more radical design and is further in the future than the FJ33.

Work on the FJX "is coming along very well," said Dr. Williams. The main components of the engine - fan, compressor, combustor and turbine - have been rig-tested, the core has started its test runs and the first complete engine will run "towards the end of this year." The goal is still to demonstrate the FJX in flight at Oshkosh in 2000, powering the Williams/Scaled Composites V-Jet built for that purpose.

"Then we'll decide on certification, depending on the interest we arouse."

VisionAire unveiled its Spirit two-seater, designed around the FJX, at Oshkosh this summer, and (according to NASA) Cirrus, Lancair, Cessna and Raytheon are all studying new aircraft with the engine. A derivative 530shp turboshaft engine, the TSX-2, is also being developed, and Bell is considering it as a helicopter powerplant.

By Bill Sweetman