Safire Aircraft selected the Williams FJ33, derated to 1,100 pounds thrust, to power the Florida company’s S-26 very light twinjet. Safire disclosed last August it was seeking an alternate supplier to its first choice, Agilis Engines, which has never manufactured an engine of its own design but over the past several years has been a supplier of engineering services to OEMs. The FJ33, scheduled to be certified in December, will have a three-year, 1,500-hour warranty.

First flight of a Safire test aircraft is planned in the first quarter of next year, and certification is now anticipated for December 2005. Customer deliveries are set to start in the first quarter of 2006, more than two years beyond the original timetable. Vendors for the airplane’s wing, fuselage, empennage and avionics were expected to be announced this month. Safire also anticipates making a decision soon on the location for its production facilities.

Late last year the company said it received sufficient funding to take the S-26 “Personal Jet” through first flight. The company claims non-deposit orders for 900 aircraft and that following the first flight those orders will become firm with a deposit of 10 to 15 percent of the target price of slightly more than $1 million.