In the late 1970s, Microjet SA developed the Microjet 200 as a lightweight two-seat jet trainer. It was designed to use the small gas turbine engines made by Microturbo. The Microjet 200 was a low-wing aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear and a V-tail. It was powered by two Microturbo TRS 18-1 turbojet engines, each producing 293 lbf of thrust. The cockpit had side-by-side seats for an instructor and a student. The all-wood prototype first flew on June 24, 1980. The company advertised the 200B as a low-cost, high-performance jet trainer designed for training military pilots.
Design of Microjet 200
The Microjet 200 was 21.10 feet long, 7.11 feet high, with a wingspan of 24.9 feet and a wing area of 65.9 square feet. The empty weight was 1,719 pounds, and the gross weight was 2,866 pounds. The maximum speed of the aircraft was 287 mph, with a cruise speed of 241 mph, an endurance of two hours, and a service ceiling of 30,000 feet. The first pre-production aircraft, designated 200B, made its maiden flight on May 19, 1983. Production was expected to start by mid-1984.
The Cancellation
A total of three 200B models were built. These production models had more powerful TRS 18-2 engines and better equipment. However, the aircraft did not perform well enough, and no customers were found. As a result, the program was canceled. The Microjet 200 was a good project, but it couldn’t meet the criteria for a capable trainer. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
