Vickers Aircraft, the company behind the WAVE amphibian, has announced a second aircraft: the FAST4. It’s a four-seat, low-wing piston single with a carbon-fibre airframe, and the target is a top cruise speed of 235 knots.
The numbers on paper look tempting: a range of 1,300 nautical miles, 102 gallons of fuel and a useful load of 1,520 lb, enough for four adults with full tanks. The wings fold, so it should need about half the hangar space. Vickers also plans IFR equipment and a BRS whole-aircraft parachute, and is looking at Garmin’s AXIS displays and Autoland.
Some big pieces are still missing, though. No engine has been chosen yet, there’s no price, and there’s no date for a first flight or for production. Vickers wants to build both its aircraft in the US and is talking to several states about a factory site.
The FAST4 will share parts and systems with the WAVE, which finished flight testing in 2023 and is now going through certification. Vickers also hopes the new FAA MOSAIC rules will help.
235 knots from a piston four-seater would be seriously quick. We’ll believe it when we see it fly, but we’d really like to.
Source: AVweb (Matt Ryan), 29 October 2026