Nailing down financing continues to be the focus of the Leopard Six project at Chichester-Miles Consultants in England. “The main point is getting investing,” Ian Chichester-Miles told AIN. “But it is not so much a matter of finding investors, but rather of finding investment packages that will make sense profit-wise. Not all business plans are equally attractive.” He estimated that CMC would need about $100 million to fund the project. Announced last March, the Leopard Six is a larger version of the four-seat Leopard that CMC has been developing since the early 1980s.
The investment climate for general aviation programs has not changed significantly, Chichester-Miles said. The increase in interest in general aviation in the aftermath of September 11 is balanced by the adverse effects of the current economic situation and general uncertainty, he believes. “On balance, the financial situation is not too far off neutral,” he said, adding that he feels the situation won’t improve until the authorities make firm decisions on security requirements for general aviation airplanes.
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