-by Ken Ibold

A few miles down the road from where NASA fits the space shuttle for flight is an assembly plant of much more modest proportions: the final put-together hangar of the Liberty XL-2.

Liberty Aerospace is positioning the XL-2 as a two-seat touring airplane, suitable for single pilots and empty-nesters who want to travel at reasonable speeds with low operating costs. The company’s unusual strategy—which matches the somewhat unusual airplane—hinges on success in two areas. It needs to build the right airplane for that mission but it also needs to be right that the market for an airplane tailored to such a mission is big enough in the first place. …