Babson Case Number: BAB010 | Length: 23 Pages

Abstract

This case, intended to be positioned towards the end of a course in new ventures, chronicles the evolution of Adam Aircraft, a highly innovative entrepreneurial start-up company that flew in the face of conventional wisdom in the general aviation market. Its founder, Rick Adam, had orchestrated the fabrication of two flying prototypes—the A500 twin piston and the A700 jet—at a speed of design and production that had turned heads in all sectors of the aviation industry. Certification on both models was expected in the coming year—two years ahead of a number of well-funded competitors. With their third product—the A600 twin turboprop—nearly ready to fly, Adam Aircraft had become the one to watch in 2004.