(Image credit: Vintage Aviation News)
In 1993, Roger E. Kraft founded Star Kraft to manufacture an aircraft that could be sold as a kit and assembled by the customers at home. As a result, he developed the Star Kraft SK-700. David Morss, a well-known small-airplane test pilot, joined the Star Kraft SK-700 project in 1994. Martin Hollmann of Aircraft Design Inc. performed the structural analysis and recommended Morss as a test pilot and designer for the placement of controls and systems during the aircraft’s assembly. Morss described the Star Kraft SK-700 plane as different from typical prototypes. According to him, “The founders and primary investors of Star Kraft are both pilots and successful businessmen who have flown both certified and experimental aircraft for the past 20 years. They firmly believed that there was a need for a new generation of corporate aircraft, one that would outperform turboprops and some jets.”
Design of Star Kraft SK-700
Roger and his father, Harold, first got involved with homebuilt planes when they built a Lancair 360 for company travel. This experience went so well that Roger decided to build a bigger airplane using the best available technology. They used CAD for the design, and aeronautical engineer Jim Phillips calculated the stability and control profiles. With strong research data, they felt confident making the first plane from production molds. They planned to sell kits to help cover the costs of developing the Star Kraft. The sole prototype of the Star Kraft SK-700 flew in December 1994 and received its Certificate of Airworthiness (CoA) on August 17, 1995. However, by late 1995, changes in FAA regulations, which required the plane to pass strict safety tests for full factory production, shifted the plans toward full-scale production and certification. The aircraft was a pusher/tractor design made entirely of composite materials. It was powered by two Teledyne Continental LTSIO-550A engines, each producing 350 horsepower, with one located at the front of the aircraft and the other at the tail. According to Morss, because there were no engines on the wings of the Star Kraft SK-700, it had less roll inertia but greater pitch and yaw inertia. It was a large airplane that took some time to get moving, but it was also very efficient.
The Cancellation
Overall, Star Kraft SK-700 was user-friendly. However, until then, Roger had kept a low profile and focused on running his other business. To continue the certification process, Star Kraft needed to invest more money. To attract investors, the company decided to show the Star Kraft SK-700’s potential by flying it to the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas in September 1995. After the positive reception the aircraft received there, Roger and the team decided to pursue some point-to-point speed records. At that point, it was clear that the Star Kraft SK-700 needed financial support to continue operations. Since Star Kraft had limited funds, it aimed to maximize its investment by attempting to set two records in a single flight. As a result, on March 1, 1996, Morss set two records recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). He flew from Palm Springs, California, to Phoenix, Arizona, at an average speed of 312.87 miles per hour. He then flew from Phoenix, Arizona, to El Paso, New Mexico, at an average speed of 355.23 miles per hour. Despite this, Star Kraft couldn’t secure investment or orders and had to shut down its operation on the Star Kraft SK-700. In the Grounded Dreams series, the Star Kraft SK-700 was not a bad aircraft, but the rules around it changed faster. Read more Grounded Dreams articles HERE.
