CEI to add 50 workers for expanded defense contract - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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engineering office. The local company makes the lightweight, durable composite framex and shells ofthe jets, then installes the avionics, or electronic controls, and Component suppliers include , Irvin Aerospace, and The Initially the contractg asked CEI to build two target-practicer jets for test flights, and it included five productionn options. The contract was soon boosted to six aircrafg and addedtest flights. Now, with construction in progresx on thetwelfth jet, 48 jets are on and the company expects to be making 45 a year over a seven-yeat period for the U.S. military. At about $500,000 apiece, they enabled the U.S.
military to test ground-to-ait and air-to-air missile systems against targetes designed to look and fly like enemg aircraft orcruise missiles. More orders are expected from foreignmilitary allies. The jets are 20 feet long with wingspansx just short of 11 The sleek craft can hit speedwabove .95 Mach, do sustained turns at nine timex the force of gravity and fly in an altitude ranginvg from 20 feet to 51,000 They can stay aloft for more than three hours, do barrekl rolls and other They have 7 cubic feet of cargo space, and theirr wings can also carry cargo.
The companhy planned a ceremony Wednesday with military representativexs to highlight the contract and show offthe