Stratos Aircraft will publicly debut its $2.5 million 716X jet single later this month at EAA AirVenture. The numbers in the model name reflect its Mach 0.70 cruise speed, single turbofan engine, and six-seat cabin.

Initially offered as an experimental, kit-built aircraft, the 716X is designed to have a range of 1,500 nm and a ceiling of 41,000 feet. It is powered by an overhauled, 3,600-hour TBO Pratt & Whitney Canada PWC JT15D5 turbofan and features Garmin 3X avionics. Redmond, Oregon-based Stratos said it can be assembled “in as little as nine months,” using builder-assist affiliate firms. The company plans to offer 10 to 12 kits next year and considers the 716X a “stepping stone” toward eventually offering a certified version of the aircraft, the 716, that would sell for $1 million more. 

“At Stratos, our goal is to lower the cost of owning and operating a jet to turboprop levels,” said Carsten Sundin, Stratos Aircraft's president and chief technology officer.

Stratos said it is continuing to make major investments in its manufacturing facility, including a computer design center, production-grade composites molds, a high-temperature curing oven, a full-service machine shop, static test fixtures, and new flight-test hangars.