Sino Swearingen recently conducted cold-soak testing of its SJ30-2 at a facility at Eglin AFB, Fla., completing another requirement for FAA certification. The aircraft was soaked at -40 degrees C and then tested for avionics performance; pre-start, engine start and operation; landing gear retraction and extension; hydraulic system operations; and functions of other systems and controls.

After these tests, Sino Swearingen began flight-into-known-icing certification tests. Three SJ30-2s are currently engaged in flight testing, and a spokesman said the airplanes have completed many of the planned 1,500 flight hours needed for certification.

Certification of the $5.495 million light jet is planned for the third quarter, with deliveries beginning by year-end. The spokes-man said the first customer SJ30-2, S/N 006, is nearly ready to come out of the wing-mating tooling, and aircraft up to S/N 012 are in various stages of assembly.