April 13, 2004

EXTRA AIRCRAFT PARTNERS WITH HONEYWELL AND ROLLS-ROYCE
TO EQUIP EA-500

LANCASTER, Pa. – The Extra 500, newly equipped with a state-of-the-art engine and an ultra-modern avionics package, is set to be the premier aircraft in the high-performance
single-engine cabin class, thanks to partnerships recently formed between Extra Aircraft, Rolls-Royce and Honeywell.

Certified to the latest amendment level, the EA-500 has passed FAA and EASA certification tests and is the only aircraft in the high-performance cabin class to meet the latest dynamic occupant safety requirements. The seats in the EA-500 are certified to 26 G’s, and the aircraft is certified for Flight Into Known Icing conditions. In addition, the Extra 500 showed no fatigue after introducing manufacturers, weather and ground support damage and then testing the aircraft to an equivalent of 40,000 flight hours and in excess of 60,000 landing cycles. This airframe then withstood an ultimate load test.
“While we can’t guarantee what the FAA and LBA will do, we feel extremely optimistic that certification will occur in the very near future,” said Ken Keith, CEO of Extra Aircraft.

The Extra 500, a six-seat, pressurized aircraft, was specifically designed around the Rolls-Royce 250-B17F/2 turboprop engine. The efficiency of the engine and its lightweight design, weighing only 205 pounds and with a power output of 450 shp, gives the aircraft the flexibility to fly at altitudes lower than its Service Ceiling of 25,000 feet without sacrificing fuel consumption. The EA-500 can travel over 1,600 nm, burning one-third less fuel and operating at one-third less cost than its most efficient competitor aircraft. The aircraft can also carry 900 pounds 900 miles non-stop with reserves.

Honeywell’s APEX® fully integrated cockpit will provide the standard avionics package for the EA-500, beginning in 2006. The technologically advanced APEX® system will feature digital communication and navigation radios, a digital autopilot, a flight management system, two Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Displays (AMLCDs) measuring 10.4 inches diagonally, Mode S diversity transponder, Engine Indicating and Caution Alert System (EICAS), traffic advisory system, and a dual-channel Air Data, Attitude, Heading and Reference System (ADAHRS). Options include an additional display, Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), weather radar, radio altimeter, distance measuring equipment (DME), automatic direction finder (ADF) and Honeywell’s Flight Information Services (FIS).

“The fact that reputable companies like Rolls-Royce and Honeywell want to put their products in the EA-500 is only a testament to the confidence that these companies have in the aircraft,” said Keith. “We have designed what we predict will be the next generation in high-performance cabin-class aircraft, and our partnerships with Rolls-Royce and Honeywell are making a superior product package even better.”

The Extra 500 has an all-carbon-fiber composite airframe that is lighter and stronger than traditional metal structures. The aircraft’s unique high-wing design allows for stability in flight and superior airflow over the wing and fuselage, while the keel-beam design results in a sturdier airframe suited to meet high structural loads.

“ We believe the EA-500 is going to help Extra Aircraft capture additional market share and further establish the company as a major player in the aircraft manufacturing industry,” said Keith.

The purchase price of the EA-500 is $1.545 million, which includes training for one pilot. Keith estimates that Extra currently has the capacity to produce 60 EA-500s per year. By 2005, annual production is estimated to be between 18 and 20 aircraft. The EA-500 will be sold factory-direct through a network of factory-authorized representatives in North America and Europe.

Extra Aircraft is a premier aircraft manufacturing company headquartered in Lancaster, Pa., with a manufacturing plant in Germany. Founded in the 1980s by veteran aerobatic pilot Walter Extra, Extra Aircraft became a U.S.-owned and -operated company in 2003. The Extra product line includes three highly specialized models: the EA-300L, an aerobatic aircraft, and the EA-400 and the EA-500, business and touring aircraft.

About Extra Aircraft, LLC

Company Website: http://www.ExtraAircraft.com

Extra Aircraft Press Contact: Jennifer Barrett McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations The Tower, Suite 2800 611 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 email: jhamilton@mpf.com voice: (615) 259-4000

Copyright 2004 - Extra Aircraft, LLC