Last June, Ames residents turned out to see a test flight of a scale model of the Vantage single-engine, all-composite business jet aircraft made by VisionAire Corporation.

Little bits of yarn dangling from various parts of the 1/6-scale model’s fuselage told company engineers that the aerodynamic design of the Vantage was airworthy.

The full-size Vantage jet will eventually be made at the VisionAire plant to be built in Ames. Ken Lombardi, director of corporate communications at VisionAire, said ground-breaking for the Ames plant will start later this year, and officials expect the facility to be completed some time next year.

VisionAire wants to build planes in Ames because of the research potential of Iowa State in composite technology, Lombardi said.

Composite aircraft construction differs from metal frame construction used in other aircraft.

“It gives you advantages from the standpoint of weight, strength and design capabilities,” Lombardi said.

Because of this technology, each of the five-passenger aircrafts will cost nearly $1.6 million to make.

This is about 1/2 the cost of comparable aircraft on the market today, Lombardi said.

In addition, its operating costs will be about 60 percent of comparable aircraft.

He said the company will employ nearly 150 people at the Ames plant and many of these will be ISU graduates.

The Vantage has a range of 1,000 miles and can cruise at over 400 mph at 41,000 feet. It also has a 4,000 feet/minute climb rate.

Lombardi said a full-scale model of the plane will be rolled out of the company’s Mojave, Calif., production facility on Nov. 8.