M-309 CarbonAero

The M‑309 CarbonAero, developed by Adam Aircraft Industries, was a pioneering four‑seat, single‑engine general‑aviation aircraft that showcased the company’s ambition to bring advanced composite technology to the light‑aircraft market. Design work began in 1998, and the prototype rolled out in late 2000. Its first flight took place on 12 March 2002, and after an intensive flight‑test programme the type achieved FAA type certification in June 2005. Production was intended to run at Adam’s Hesperia, California plant, but the firm entered bankruptcy in 2007, limiting the CarbonAero to a small batch of twenty‑three completed airframes.

Key features include an all‑carbon‑fiber monocoque fuselage, laminar‑flow wing sections, and a FADEC‑controlled Continental TSIO‑550‑D engine delivering 300 hp. The aircraft integrates a fully glass cockpit with dual Garmin G1000 displays, synthetic‑vision overlays, and modern autopilot. Its lightweight structure yields a cruise speed of 210 kt, a range of 1,100 nm, and a fuel burn of only 9 gph, while maintaining a stall speed below 55 kt. The M‑309’s early adoption of carbon‑fiber construction set a benchmark for subsequent GA designs, illustrating how composite materials could improve efficiency, payload and operational economics in civilian aviation.

Adam Aircraft Industries

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification