The two examples built were constructed for an unnamed customer to demonstrate "advanced, low-cost manufacturing techniques" for the production of research aircraft for both industry and government.

[2] The Model 401 is a single-seat experimental prototype of broadly conventional configuration.

The pressurized cockpit is enclosed by a bubble canopy and the plane incorporates a single jet engine and retractable tricycle landing gear.

[2] A low-wing cantilever monoplane, it has lightly swept constant-chord wings with trapezoidal inner sections.

The engine used is a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5D powerplant, producing 3,045 lbf (14 kN; 1,381 kgf) of thrust.