SyberJet Aircraft unveiled a full-scale mockup of its SJ36 light business jet at Henderson Executive Airport (HSH) near Las Vegas on October 19, 2026, opening reservations for the aircraft and presenting an in-house avionics system designed for single-pilot operations.
The evening event, held ahead of NBAA-BACE 2026, also introduced the SJ34, an updated version of the company’s SJ30-2. Together, the programs represent SyberJet’s effort to bring the long-running aircraft design back into production under CEO Trevor Milton, the founder and former chief executive of electric and hydrogen truck manufacturer Nikola.
Milton addressed the Nikola controversy during his presentation and said Nikola trucks had transported equipment to Las Vegas for the SyberJet event.
His move into aviation follows a 2022 conviction for securities and wire fraud related to claims about Nikola’s technology. He was sentenced to four years in prison in 2023 and received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump in March 2025.
The SJ36 is a stretched development of the SJ30-2, designed to accommodate one pilot and eight passengers. SyberJet is targeting a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.88, a range of up to 3,000 nautical miles and a maximum operating altitude of 49,000 feet. The aircraft would maintain sea-level cabin pressure at altitudes up to 41,000 feet. These remain projected figures, subject to development and certification.
Power will come from two Williams International FJ44-4A turbofan engines, with combined projected takeoff thrust of 7,242 pounds. The company’s published cabin design includes wider rear passenger seats and a main cabin measuring approximately 16 feet long.
A central part of the presentation was SyberVision, the proprietary avionics system SyberJet is developing for the SJ36 and SJ34. The SJ36 flight deck is planned around six high-definition touchscreens, with an integrated flight management system, autopilot and autothrottle.
SyberJet also plans fly-by-wire flight controls for the SJ36 and over-the-air software updates. The company says developing the avionics and automation together will help simplify operation for a single pilot. SyberVision remains in research and development, and its features could change during certification.
The smaller SJ34 would retain the SJ30-2’s basic configuration, with room for one pilot and six passengers. SyberJet projects a maximum speed of Mach 0.83 and range of up to 2,500 nautical miles, along with updated propulsion, avionics and cabin features. The company is accepting expressions of interest in that aircraft alongside reservations for the SJ36.
SyberJet is targeting FAA certification and first customer deliveries of the SJ36 in 2032.
The SJ36 traces its roots to aircraft designer Ed Swearingen’s SJ30 program, which began in the late 1980s with the aim of combining high speed and transcontinental range in a small business jet. After years of development, the SJ30-2 received FAA certification under Sino Swearingen in October 2005, with deliveries beginning in 2006.
Only a handful of aircraft reached customers as the program struggled through ownership changes and production interruptions. Metalcraft Technologies acquired the program’s assets in 2011, establishing SyberJet Aircraft. A new investment group acquired the company in 2024, with Milton now leading its effort to develop the SJ34 and stretched SJ36.