The Aerodis AA200 Orion is a four-seat prototype light aircraft designed in the United States and which first flew on April 7, 1991. Aerodis commissioned the design with the intention of developing a family of related aircraft sharing a common basic airframe, including the AA300 Rigel and AA330 Theta. Aerodis was also the American distributor for the Grinvalds Orion, a French light aircraft intended for homebuilding. Although the Aerodis Orion and Grinvalds Orion shared a same basic configuration and composite construction, the two aircraft were not further related, and the AA200 was an all-new design.[1] The designs are sometimes known as the CRSS AA200 Orion, CRSS AA300 Rigel, and CRSS AA330 Theta after the rights to the designs were sold to Indonesian manufacturer CRSS.[2]
The Orion is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a T-tail, prominent ventral fin, and retractable, tricycle undercarriage.[1] It is powered by a mid-mounted piston engine driving a pusher propeller though a long driveshaft.[1] Construction throughout is of composite materials.[1] The enclosed cabin seats four people in 2+2 configuration.
Aerodis planned to use this design as the basis for a jet trainer aircraft, the AA300 Rigel, and a light tactical aircraft, the AA330 Theta.[1] In both these cases, the piston engine was to be replaced by a small turbofan, either the Garrett F109 or Williams FJ44,[1] and the cockpit was to be enclosed by a bubble canopy.[1] The Rigel was to seat pilot and instructor in tandem, while the Theta was to be a single-seat aircraft fitted with an ejector seat.[1] Aerodis presented both designs at the 1989 Paris Air Show.[3]
Two prototypes of the Rigel were under construction in 1991 for entry into the US Department of Defense Joint Primary Aircraft Training System competition,[1] [4] one to test each of the prospective powerplants.[4] Aerodis was unable to attract sufficient investment to complete the prototypes or continue development.[3]
Manufacturing of Aerodis designs was to have been carried out by Cipta Restu Sarana Svaha (CRSS) in Indonesia. In 1991, Aerodis sold the whole program to CRSS.[5]