Coming to a Runway Near You

Avatar for Gary WatsonBy Gary Watson | May 16, 2012

Estimated reading time 15 minutes, 4 seconds.

Despite a somewhat stagnant global economy, many aircraft manufacturers are busy making, marketing, certifying and testing new products for the business aviation market. Some aircraft were announced at last year National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention; others have been in development for a few years and are close to their first delivery. Here, we look at what products are coming down the runway from the major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Honda Aircraft Company

Three HondaJets are currently in flight testing; the latest two are FAA-conforming models designated as F1 and F2. F1 flew for the first time on Dec. 20, 2010, and F2 began its flight test program on Nov. 18, 2011. 
The first flight of a flight test aircraft is an important milestone for an aircraft certification program, and the fact that we achieved F2 first flight shortly after receiving its engines illustrates our team preparation and readiness, said Michimasa Fujino, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company. F2 first flight was the result of extensive planning, hard work and execution by many teams and individuals across our organization and our supply chain partner network. The aircraft performance is as expected and flying in the aircraft is exhilarating.
Honda has also announced a $20 million investment in a new HondaJet maintenance repair and overhaul facility located in Greensboro, N.C.
Gulfstream 

Gulfstream has two new aircraft models in the final stages of testing, with certification expected by mid-2012. The G650 program, the OEM long-range, large cabin offering, has four test aircraft flying. Post-production test flights have started on customer aircraft pending final certification by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The initial evaluation of the aircraft prior to certification has been completed.
We’re steadily moving through the test points required for FAA and EASA type certification, said Pres Henne, senior vice president of programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. The closer we get to certification, the more excited we get to put these planes in the hands of our customers. The G650 is meeting our performance expectations.
The G280 has received a provisional type certificate (PTC) from the FAA, following one issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel on Dec. 29, 2011. To date, Gulfstream has 200 orders for the G650. The company is not disclosing sales figures for the G280, but will be delivering 10 to 15 mid-cabin aircraft this year, the majority of them G280s.
Bombardier Aerospace

The newest business jets from Bombardier are the Global 7000, the Global 8000 and the Learjet 85.
The Learjet 85 is the first business jet with both fuselage and wings built primarily from carbon composites and designed for type certification under the U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 25. An FAA structural certification test project was successfully completed in the summer of 2011 and the first delivery is planned for 2013.
The Lear 85 program has passed aircraft level critical design review. Development and production teams in Wichita, Kansas; Montreal, Quebec; Belfast, Northern Ireland; and Queretaro, Mexico, are actively engaged in the manufacturing validation phase. Production of wing spars and planks using resin transfer infusion (RTI) technology was successfully launched at the Belfast site in spring 2011, and shipments to the Queretaro site, where wing assembly will take place, have begun. A full-length composite fuselage is being assembled in Queretaro for production of the first flight test vehicle. Final assembly will take place in Wichita, where building expansion projects are nearly complete. 
The Global 7000 and the Global 8000 ultra-long-range business jets are well under way for planned in-service dates of 2016 for the 7000 and 2017 for the 8000. The main suppliers of airframe, engine, avionics and all other components have been announced, with design, fabrication and installation plans in progress. Final assembly will take place at Bombardier manufacturing site in Toronto, while interior completion will take place at its Global Completion Centre in Dorval, Que.
Embraer 

The first engine run for the new Legacy 500 mid-size business jet was carried out on Jan. 17, 2012, at the company manufacturing facility in São Jose dos Campos, Brazil. This was a significant milestone since the aircraft was rolled out on Dec. 23, 2011. The engine run was also a system verification for all fuel, bleed air, electrical generation and control, avionics interface and APU operations.
Being successful on our first engine run reflects the robustness of the concept conceived by our engineers, said Luciano Castro, Legacy 500 program vice president, Embraer Executive Jets. This was possible thanks to the extensive testing of the systems prior to aircraft prototype availability. It makes us confident that we will have a smooth flight test and certification campaign. 
Honeywell HTF7500E state-of-the-art engines began testing in 2010, and have accumulated more than 200 hours on the flight test bench prior to the Legacy 500 engine run. The new-generation Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics system will provide extensive situational awareness with a highly intuitive interface.
Launched in 2008, the Legacy 500 features an interior designed in partnership with BMW Group Designworks USA. According to Embraer, the aircraft will have the largest cabin and the best acoustical insulation in its class. A flat floor, six-foot cabin, excellent pressurization, and vacuum lavatories are other highlights of the Legacy 500. The first flight of the Legacy 500 is expected to take place in the third quarter of this year.
Embraer has introduced major improvements to its Legacy 600/650 jets. Interior refinements include a state-of-the-art cabin management system offering increased efficiency and safety for aircraft operations. The new versions, with a host of new options, are now available for standard aircraft produced in 2012.
These changes are specifically designed to increase cabin comfort and capabilities to ensure passengers have the right environment to either relax or maintain their productivity, said Ernest Edwards, president, Embraer Executive Jets. Key to this is our effort to reduce cabin sound levels, which sets a new benchmark for the Legacy 600 and Legacy 650 class of aircraft. Complementing the new features is a full, high definition entertainment system. Customers were introduced to the improvements during a worldwide demonstration tour in March.
Cessna Aircraft Company

The Citation Latitude was introduced in October 2011 and will offer Cessna widest-yet passenger cabin, with stand-up access throughout its length of more than 16 feet. Designed for a crew of two plus up to eight passengers, the aircraft will have a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 metres) and a maximum cruise speed of 442 knots (819km/h). It will climb to 43,000 feet (13,106 metres) in just 23 minutes. The original maximum range specification has been increased from 2,000 to 2,300 nautical miles (3,704 to 4,259.6 km). The mid-sized Citation Latitude is scheduled for its first flight in mid-2014 with FAA certification (Part 25) and service entry in 2015.
The Citation M2 light business jet was announced on Sept. 26, 2011. The M2 first flight is expected to occur in the first half of 2012, with FAA certification (Part 23) expected in the first half of 2013, followed by deliveries beginning in the second half of 2013.
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation 

Despite recent financial difficulties, Hawker Beechcraft was reassuring clients in early April that customer orders and committments would be met. Current projects include the Hawker 900XP mid-sized business jet, which continues to undergo improvements. The new 2012 model will now be equipped with a digital pressurization system, thereby improving passenger comfort; and, with a 94 per cent reduction in components, it provides a more reliable, maintenance-friendly environmental system. Digital pressurization is the latest example of a long list of enhancements made to the Hawker 900XP, including new technology, fuel-efficient engines, advanced composite winglets, LED lighting and new cabin entertainment options. 
Dassault Aviation 

The first flight of the Falcon 2000S, the latest aircraft from Dassault Aviation, took place in May 2011. To date, the test aircraft has accumulated 300 hours in flight testing and is anticipated to be certified by December 2012.
Based on the Falcon 2000, the 2000S is in the super midsize range category with a range of 3,350 nautical miles (6,204 km), allowing it to connect any two cities in Canada. Additions to the aircraft include inboard slats, the Honeywell Easy II avionics suite and the new Pratt & Whitney 308C engines, providing 7,000 pounds of thrust and 20 per cent lower emissions.
The aircraft will be offered with one of three interiors designed by BMW Designworks USA, a global design consultancy that has created remarkable functional and artistic objects ranging from cell phones to the Rolls Royce Phantom, in addition to aircraft interiors for a number of OEMs. 
Their expertise has resulted in the Falcon 2000S receiving the prestigious 2011 Good Design Award for its specially-designed interior. This award for Design Excellence is given by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Center for Architecture, Art and Urban Studies, and is the world oldest and most recognized program acknowledging design excellence.
Diamond Aircraft

At the smaller end of the business aircraft market, the Diamond D-Jet is once again on the way towards production, after solving its financial difficulties last year. Diamond is not quite ready to ramp up operations, and has taken time to improve some design aspects of the aircraft and reduce its weight. Aircraft serial number three has resumed flight testing, and is currently carrying out flights to further define the aircraft performance envelope. A full-pressure test vessel, complete with all doors and windows, has carried out extensive flight cycle testing. The construction of fully-conforming, pre-production construction jigs and tooling is underway. Our delay in the program that was due to financial difficulties has had the benefit of giving us time to mature the design, improve the aircraft performance and carry out more testing before the production phase, said Diamond president Peter Maurer in an interview. Aircraft serial number four will fly in early 2014, with the first production delivery scheduled for 2014.
Airbus Corporate Jets

Airbus Corporate Jets was formed as a new business unit on Jan. 1, 2012, to exclusively market the Airbus commercial aircraft line as corporate aircraft. The unit has its own distinct paint scheme and branding. They have already sold an ACJ321 under their new name and are busy on the airshow circuit using an ACJ318. On the horizon is the option of creating an ACJ350 business jet from the new A350 XWB airliner due to fly in the next two years. This is still some way in the future as far as corporate jet customers are concerned, however, who tend to focus on aircraft that they can get this year, rather than several years down the road, said David Velupillai, marketing director Airbus Corporate Jets. 
According to Forbes magazine, there are currently 1,226 billionaires in the world. The VIP widebody ACJ350 with more living space than four middle-class houses and a worldwide range might be just the answer when they want to travel with an extended family, a large number of friends or a state delegation.
Gary Watson has decades of hands-on experience in both fixed- and rotary-wing aviation maintenance. He recently retired from SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary, Alta., where he had taught avionics and human factors for many years. He can be reached at gary@verticalmag.com.

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