Honda HA-420 HondaJet
JETS
by Mark Huber
Honda HA-420 HondaJet
The emerging ‘middle class’
34 Aviation International News • October 2014 • www.ainonline.com
Embraer Phenom 100E
Flaris LAR 01
Singles
SyberJet SJ30
Flaris LAR 01
Cirrus Vision SF50
Cirrus flew its first conformal flighttest aircraft on March 25 and plans to
add two more to the fleet on the way to
certification next year, it hopes, of its
$1.96 million SF50 single jet.
While it will look similar to the nonconforming test aircraft Cirrus has been
flying since 2008 (logging more than 600
flight hours), changes have been made to
refine the design. They include a slightly
longer nose and higher loft than the
model currently flying. Range is estimated
at 1,000 nm at 300 knots, or 1,200 nm at
210 knots. The single FJ33-4 Williams
turbofan is expected to power the aircraft
to 25,000 feet. The five-plus-two occupant layout is retained but options such
as weather radar, a “relief station” and
upgraded leathers have been added. The
SF50 will feature an emergency wholeaircraft parachute that will deploy from
the nose.
Cirrus already is beginning to gear up
for production by adding factory robotics
and a fuselage lay-up mold for the all-composite aircraft. The company has received
deposits for more than 550 of the jets. As
the SF50 bucks up against the $2 million price mark, company chairman Dale
Klapmeier indicated that Cirrus might
leverage its relationship with its owner,
the China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA), to build certain component parts in that country to cut costs.
Klapmeier said the company plans to
gradually spool up production of the SF50
to 125 aircraft per year after certification.
Light Twins
Eclipse 550
The $2.895 million update of the original Eclipse 500 features cockpit avionics upgrades that provide synthetic and
enhanced vision; sharper, more powerful display screens; a separate avionics standby display unit; dual integrated
flight-management systems; and autothrottles. The 550 also has new electronic
antilock brakes. The 550’s upgraded
494 gallons. Range is 1,300 nm and payload with full fuel and one pilot is 500
pounds. The useful load is 3,809 pounds.
The 46-cu-ft baggage hold can swallow 725
pounds. Like all CJs and the Mustang, the
M2 is certified for single-pilot operations.
MATT THURBER
The Poland-based aviation newcomer
unveiled its $1.5 million five-seat, single-engine light jet at the 2013 Paris Air
Show. Certification has slipped into mid2016 as the company grapples with the
need for an engine more powerful than
the originally envisioned 1,460-poundthrust Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F.
The LAR 01 is fitted with dual Garmin
G600 avionics. Other features include
rear-hinged main cabin doors reminiscent
of 1960s Lincoln Continentals, detachable wings and stabilizers, a fuselage fuel
tank, electric de-icing, and an in-the-nose
whole-aircraft ballistic parachute. The
aircraft’s target performance includes
maximum cruise speed of 380 knots; stall
speed of 62 knots; 1,400 nm of range; a
45,000-foot ceiling; and the ability to take
off from short grass strips. The company
said a second airplane is nearly complete
and construction is under way on two
more fuselages.
© 2014 AIN Publications. All Rights Reserved. For Reprints go to www.ainonline.com
and inch dispatch rates even closer to
100 percent. Development and certification schedules on select new programs continue to fall behind because
of specific financial challenges at
select companies, technical difficulties integrating new technologies into
airframe, avionics and flight controls,
and certification slowdowns attributable to budget and other constraints
at both the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Most of the new jet design activity
(either clean sheet or block change) is
in the crowded middle market (midsize and super-midsize jets), reflecting
the continuing softness in the entrylevel sector and the rarefication of
the large and jetliner offerings. Bombardier, Cessna and Embraer all have
new models under development in
what can be called the greater middle
market, the most attractive for fractional programs and other fleet customers. These new midsize programs
all share certain characteristics: a
renewed focus on passenger comfort,
with improved seating, larger windows
and flat floor cabins. All categories are
moving toward touchscreen avionics
in the cockpit and more fuel-efficient
engines, which translate into better range and times to climb. Winglet
design is being revised with more
swooping shapes. The large jet market is seeing some action, although
less of it, with new programs officially
under way at Bombardier and Dassault
and the rumor mill running full tilt at
Gulfstream. Airbus and Boeing stand
ready to offer airliner-class variants
with new, more fuel-efficient engines
and slipperier wings.
Make no mistake, there’s still
plenty of cool factor here; from electrochromic window shades and LED
mood lighting in the cabin to stealthily
quiet and clean jet engines. But now
it’s all wrapped up in a slick package
with more attractive economics, even
in the age of expensive fuel.
MARK WAGNER
Think less James Bond, more Captain Value.
New business jets under development have one thing in common: with
a laser-like focus on value, almost to
the model they have achieved a nearperfect balance of versatility, performance, comfort and costs.
Concern about costs per seat mile
used to be the preserve of the airlines.
No longer: it has helped define even
the Mach 0.935 Cessna Citation X+.
Granted, new technology helps the
equation, from better man-machine
interface in the cockpit to faster Wi-Fi
in the cabin. But while there is no
shortage of onboard whiz-bang, from
the smallest to the largest airframes,
the big differentiator going forward will
be customer service and support. It’s
not enough to be the fastest and the
hippest in the air; you need to stand
behind the airplanes with the same
vigor and commitment that the U.S.
Air Force applied to the Strategic Air
Command during the Cold War: anytime, anywhere.
It is no coincidence that Gulfstream
and Embraer are selling aircraft as fast
as they can make them: both scored
market-leading product support numbers in our latest survey. Embraer’s
case is particularly stunning. Fifteen
years ago it wasn’t even in this business, and today it claims a 17-percent
market share. Honda set up an international service network and built a large
OEM service center at its Greensboro,
N.C. campus before it has delivered a
single aircraft.
To that end, OEMs are changing
the way they sell aircraft, with more
focus on simplified maintenance
and life-cycle costs: higher engine
TBOs, longer inspection intervals
and more requirements for on-condition replacements as opposed to time
intervals. In some cases, hourly maintenance programs are wrapped into
the purchase price. This trend should
increase reliability across the board
Cessna Citation M2
Embraer Phenom 100E
CirrusVision SF50
cabin features higher-grade, piped leathers; finished carpets; more robust table
and cup-holder attachments; better hand
rails; a one-piece headliner that improves
aesthetics; portable server; iPad and
Bluetooth connectivity; and an intercom
system for pilot-passenger communications. Eclipses are offered with Iridium
satphones capable of transmitting aircraft engine data for monitoring. The 550
has a top speed of 375 knots and a range
of 1,125 nm. Deliveries of the 550 began
earlier this year.
Cessna Citation M2
Cessna’s $4.35 million makeover of
the CJ1+ received FAA certification late
last year and incorporates several ergonomic lessons learned from the smaller
Citation Mustang and the larger CJ4.
The new cockpit is roomier and has a
shorter control pedestal for easier entry
to and egress from the pilot seats. It also
features the new Intrinzic flight deck
based on the Garmin G3000 touchscreen
avionics system.
Eclipse 550
In the back, the standard configuration
is a facing-club-four arrangement with an
optional single passenger, side-facing seat
opposite the cabin entry door. The aft lav
features a flushing toilet with optional
closing door. The M2 borrows the Clairity cabin-management system developed
for the company’s new crop of larger jets
for passenger communications and entertainment. The seats have been redesigned
to be slightly more ergonomic and have
inboard armrests that retract into the seat
backs when not in use. The cabin employs
LED lighting throughout and includes
a pair of 110-VAC plugs. Power comes
from a pair of uprated Williams FJ441AP-21 engines with full-authority digital engine control (Fadec). They produce
1,965 pounds of thrust each (sea level,
standard temperature) and have a 4,000hour time-between-overhaul interval.
The M2 can maintain maximum cruise
speed through higher altitudes–all the way
up to 39,000 feet. Maximum altitude is
41,000 feet. At cruise and 400 knots, the
fuel burn is 112 gallons. Fuel capacity is
Embraer began delivering the 100E
earlier this year. The $4.161 million (base
price) upgraded Phenom 100 addresses
perceived deficiencies in the original
model (300 delivered since 2008) and
provides customers with more interior
choices. The most dramatic change on
the aircraft is the addition of wing spoilers that facilitate more rapid descents and
increase the effectiveness of the lift-dump
system during aerodynamic braking on
the ground. The published stopping distance on the 100E remains 2,722 feet.
Maximum range (1,178 nm) and speed
(390 knots) also are unchanged. In the
100E’s cabin, Embraer is now offering
premium slide, swivel and recline single
executive seats, similar to those aboard
the larger Phenom 300, as an extra-cost
option. A significant number of fabric and color combinations, now 11 in
all, are available on the 100E at no additional charge. Real wood veneer is standard and customers can choose from a
variety of enhanced cabinetry offerings,
including a new galley cabinet (in place of
the onboard forward closet or side-facing
passenger seat) that includes an optional
hot jug, ice drawer and beverage and
glassware storage.
SyberJet SJ30i and SJ30x
MSC Aerospace, the new owner of the
SJ30 program, recently broke ground on
a new completion and design center for
the jet in Cedar City, Utah, and is planning two new versions of the aircraft. The
SJ30i will feature an upgraded “Sybervision” Honeywell Primus Apex 2.0 system
avionics suite with 12-inch displays and a
new interior. The avionics and interior are
lighter than their progenitors and take an
estimated 200 pounds out of the airplane.
That aircraft is expected to enter service
during next year’s second half.
A follow-on aircraft, the SJ30x, will
feature uprated Williams International
FJ44-3AP-25 engines with dual Fadec
controls and is expected to provide higher
cruise speed at altitude, quicker climbs,
more payload and better high and hot
performance. It will also feature single-point refueling. Certification for the
SJ30x is estimated for 2017. Price for both
aircraft is expected to be in the $8 million
(2014) range.
The SJ30 program began in the late
1980s and the SJ30-2, finally received
FAA certification in 2005. Since then, the
company has had several different corporate owners and only eight examples of the
Mach 0.83, 2,500-nm, seven-seat jet have
been produced. The aircraft holds three
Continues on next page u
www.ainonline.com • October 2014 • Aviation International News 35
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BUSINESS
Honda expects to receive certification
of its $4.5 million light twin late this year.
The HA-420 will have a range of 1,180
nm, a maximum speed of 420 knots, an
initial climb rate of 4,000 fpm and a maximum altitude of 43,000 feet. Honda
claims the aircraft has greater fuel efficiency and higher speed than competing
models. The four- to six-passenger jet will
be certified for single-pilot operation. The
HondaJet uses a carbon-fiber composite
fuselage mated to metal wings. That, coupled with the unique positioning of the
engines on over-the-wing pylons, reduces
drag and creates a larger cabin volume
with generous passenger legroom and less
vibration. Honda expects most customers to opt for a cabin configuration that
features a single-place, side-facing divan
opposite the entry door followed by clubfour seating and an aft-cabin lavatory
with privacy door.
Key suppliers include GE Honda Aero
Engines for the HF120 engines (2,050
pounds of thrust each); Garmin for the
G3000 touchscreen avionics; and Emteq
for its SkyPro HD IFE and cabin-management system, which features audio/
video on demand, interactive 3-D moving
map, exterior camera and wireless cabin
control of lighting and monochromatic
window shades at each seat via passengers’ personal electronic devices.
More than 800 employees are working at Honda’s massive 83-acre Greensboro, N.C. campus, which has 500,000 sq
ft under roof and should be able to turn
out 70 to 100 aircraft per year when production is fully ramped up. The first two
years of production are already sold out.
Pilatus PC-24
Bombardier Learjet 85
BUSINESS
JETS
uContinued from preceding page
world records for speed and distance. Its
30-degree swept wing allows high speed
and efficient cruising, and leading-edge
slats and flaps are optimized for lowspeed approaches. The SJ30 has a service
ceiling of 49,000 feet, maintains a sealevel cabin to 41,000 feet and is approved
for single-pilot operations.
Embraer Legacy 500
Embraer’s formal entry into the
midsize market came in 2008 when it
announced development of a pair of
fly-by-wire aircraft that share the same
engines, systems, wings, empennage and
Cessna CJ3+
Bombardier Learjet 70 and 75
The updated versions of the Learjet
40XR and 45XR received FAA certification approval late last year. The “new”
Learjets offer seating for up to seven passengers in the 70, nine in the 75, and
include restyled seats and cabin shell,
a greater selection of fabrics and finishes, Wi-Fi, a Lufthansa Technik Nice
HD cabin management and entertainment system, larger galley, more closet
space and enclosed lavatory. The airplane
offers all this while delivering a range of
just over 2,000 nm (with four passengers)
and without sacrificing top speed, still a
brisk 465 knots. Service ceiling is 51,000
feet. The new Learjets sell for $11.1 million and $13.55 million, respectively.
The new Honeywell TFE731-40BRs
in the back, at 3,850 pounds of thrust
each, have 10 percent more takeoff power
than the engines that powered the 40 and
45. That gives the 70 and 75, aided by new
canted winglets, quicker climb times, better short-field performance and improved
high/hot capabilities. The engines also
promise to be 4 percent more fuel efficient than the Dash 20BRs they replace
and likely will be more durable: they feature improved turbine sections and make
innovative use of ceramic coatings on
DAVID MCINTOSH
Embraer
Legacy 450
critical components such as ducts and
turbine shrouds.
Up front, the new Bombardier Vision
cockpit, which is based on the Garmin
G5000 touchscreen avionics system,
includes synthetic-vision technology
and new GWX 70 weather radar. It also
allows pilots to control cabin lighting
and to dial directly into the GoGo Biz
(Aircell) ATG 5000 Wi-Fi system or the
Iridium satphone via the touchscreens
while wearing their headsets.
Light Mediums
Pilatus PC-24
The first PC-24 test aircraft rolled out
of the hangar on August 1, and the first
two years of production quickly sold out.
Pilatus has temporarily stopped accepting
new orders. The aircraft combines light jet
operating economics with super-midsize
jet capabilities and comfort and is aimed at
more conventional offerings from Cessna
and Embraer. Like the PC-12 single-engine
turboprop, the PC-24 retains an aft cargo
door and the capability to operate from
unpaved and unimproved fields–with the
PC-24 as short as 2,690 feet at an mtow
of 17,650 pounds. Pilatus aims to have the
up-to-10-passenger, $8.9 million all-metal
aircraft certified by 2017 and approved for
single-pilot operations. Power comes from
a pair of Williams International FJ44-4A
engines rated at 3,435 pounds of thrust
each. The engines have automatic thrust
reserve, passive thrust-vectoring nozzles,
quiet power mode in place of an APU to
provide ground power, integral pre-cooler
to condition bleed air and reduce drag
losses, and an anti-ice and noise-suppressing inlet. They have a 5,000-hour TBO
and a hot section time of 2,500 hours.
The engines help propel the PC-24 to
FL450 in less than 30 minutes and achieve
a high-speed cruise of 425 ktas at FL300.
Range with four passengers is 1,950 nm
and at mtow the maximum payload is
2,500 pounds. Up front, the customized avionics suite, dubbed Pace (Pilatus
36 Aviation International News • October 2014 • www.ainonline.com
Cessna Citation
Latitude
Cessna CJ3+
Advanced Cockpit Environment), is
based on the Honeywell Primus Apex
system and features the latest advances.
The voluminous passenger cabin provides more overall space than either the
Cessna XLS+ or the Embraer Phenom 300
and has a flat floor, which means less headroom in the aisle. The aircraft will come
with seven different interior options for
layouts that include executive, commuter,
combi and quick-change configurations as
well as options for an externally serviced
lavatory, either forward or aft, and galleys.
Like the PC-12, the PC-24’s dominant feature is its rear cargo door, which measures
4.1 feet wide and 4.25 feet tall.
Embraer Legacy 450
The $16.6 million Legacy 450 made its
first flight in late December 2013 and is
scheduled for 2015 certification. It has a
six-inch cabin stretch and a range increase
to 2,500 nm over the original design specifications. The shorter sibling of the Legacy 500 midsize, the 450 shares the same
fuselage diameter and many of the same
systems, including fly-by-wire (FBW)
flight controls, engines and avionics.
Power comes from a pair of Honeywell
HTF7500Es (6,540 pounds of thrust
each) that can propel the aircraft to
43,000 feet in 22 minutes. The pressurization system keeps cabin altitude at 6,000
feet at the 450’s maximum cruising altitude of 45,000 feet. Maximum cruising
speed is Mach 0.83. The 678-cu-ft cabin
offers seating for seven to nine passengers.
Cabin management and IFE is
Cessna Citation X+
courtesy of Honeywell’s HD Ovation
Select cabin-management system, which
allows for control of entertainment, communications, lights, temperature, window
shades and more via drink-rail-mounted
units, wireless handheld remotes or a galley touchscreen. The system can interface
with high-speed satellite communications
and a variety of consumer electronics.
The cockpit offers Rockwell Collins
Pro Line Fusion avionics. The four large
active-matrix LCDs in the panel connect
the pilots with synthetic enhanced vision
with an optional head-up display; electronic charts, maps, graphical weather
depiction from an intuitive Multi­
Scan
weather radar system that sees up to
300 miles out; and an airport surfacemanagement system that minimizes the
chance of a ground mishap. Fusion can
grow to accommodate future technology
add-ons such as voice recognition, surface guidance and automatic dependent
surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B).
Cessna Citation
Sovereign+
Embraer Legacy 500
Cessna Citation Latitude
Cessna first announced plans for its
$14.9 million light midsize Citation Latitude in 2011 and the aircraft made its first
flight this past February. Other production aircraft have since joined the flighttest program, and certification and entry
into service appear on track for 2015.
The Latitude features seating for eight,
a new and large ovoid fuselage and a
maximum range of 2,500 nm. The Latitude’s new flat-floor cabin is 27 feet, six
inches long; 72 inches tall; and 77 inches
wide. The standard seating arrangement
accommodates passengers with a forward, dual seat, side-facing divan, a clubfour grouping of single seats and two
more single seats aft of that. The Latitude will feature Garmin G5000 avionics
and the wireless Clairity cabin management system. The fiber-optic Clairity system allows completely wireless control
of cabin functions. It will be compatible
with personal devices.
The engines are Fadec (full-authority
digital engine control) Pratt & Whitney
Canada PW306D turbofans (5,700
pounds of thrust each). They will propel
the Latitude to 43,000 feet in 23 minutes
Cessna Citation Longitude
late last year. The Sovereign+ features
subtle winglets Cessna calls “swooplets,”
new touchscreen Garmin G5000 avionics, the new Clairity cabin-management and entertainment system, a better
environmental control system for more
robust air conditioning, uprated Pratt
& Whitney Canada PW306D engines
(5,907 pounds of thrust each, 6,000hour TBO), a redesigned cockpit and an
upgraded and restyled cabin with better
seats for eight to nine passengers. While
it may look almost identical to a legacy
Sovereign, the new model offers a ninefoot-longer wingspan that holds more
fuel and boosts takeoff weight 30,775
pounds from 30,300 pounds.
The airplane incorporates these
improvements while retaining its ability to use runways as short as 3,530 feet,
cruise at 460 knots and post slightly
quicker climb times. Bundled together,
the changes on the Sovereign+ also yield
an airplane with a range of 3,000 nm, 150
more than its predecessor, making it officially transcontinental in the U.S.
Cessna Citation X+
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Cessna’s $8.05 million remake of the
CJ3 features all-new Garmin G3000
touchscreen avionics, improved environmental control system and more comfortable passenger seats. It remains to be seen
if these changes can boost sales, which
dropped to 15 last year. The aircraft has
a full-fuel payload of 780 pounds, a maximum IFR range of 1,875 nm, a top speed
of 416 knots and a ceiling of 45,000 feet. It
is single-pilot capable and has seating for
up to nine passengers. Power comes from
a pair of Williams FJ44-3A engines (2,820
pounds of thrust/4,000-hour TBO).
The G3000 system on the aircraft
features improved turbulence-detecting weather radar, Tcas II, advanced terrain awareness warning systems (Taws),
a wireless media server, Garmin integrated cockpit and cabin Iridium phone,
and high-speed Internet capabilities from
GoGo Biz (Aircell). The CJ3+’s avionics are ADS-B compatible. The aircraft
received FAA certification last month.
Bombardier has tapped Lufthansa
Technik to provide the cabin management system, Rockwell Collins for
a three-screen Pro Line Fusion avionics system with advanced capabilities such as synthetic vision, and Pratt
& Whitney Canada for new PW307B
engines (6,100 pounds of thrust each).
High-speed cruise is Mach 0.82 and
the aircraft’s service ceiling will be
49,000 feet.
en route to a maximum cruise altitude of
45,000 feet. Like its predecessors, the Latitude will have good short-runway capability. Cessna predicts runway length required
at mtow to be 3,900 feet. The G5000 in the
Latitude’s cockpit features three 14-inch
LCD primary and multifunction displays
and four touchscreen control panels. It
includes synthetic vision, electronic charts,
Garmin’s Safe Taxi airport charts, dual
FMS, Waas and Taws.
Midsize
Bombardier Learjet 85
Much uncertainty surrounds Bombardier’s $20.8 million all-composite light
midsize. It has been beset with multiyear delays, at first related to the fabrication of the all-composite structure at
the Querétaro, Mexico plant. Later challenges arose with what from the start has
seemed an improbably ambitious development schedule. And now, internal
competing financial demands from two
other big development programs at Bombardier have arisen–the CSeries regional
jet and the Global 7000 and 8000 largecabin business jets.
Meanwhile, competing aircraft for
the 85 have either arrived in the market or are getting closer. The Learjet 85
did make its first flight on April 9 of
this year, but Bombardier CEO Pierre
Beaudoin was decidedly cryptic when
asked when, if ever, Bombardier will
finish the program, earlier this summer
saying only, “We are currently evaluating all of our priorities for our flighttest programs.”
Some analysts think the 85 won’t gain
certification until at least 2017.
The Learjet 85 is designed for eight to
nine passengers and a maximum range of
3,000 nm.
Like several other contemporary
cabin designs, the 85 will feature larger
passenger cabin windows, 12 by 16
inches each, and more monolithic,
streamlined headliners and sidewalls.
cabin cross-section: the Legacy 450 and
500. Last month the larger of these two
aircraft, the 500, was certified in Brazil and entered service. Compared to the
450, the 500’s fuselage is six feet longer
and range with IFR reserves increases to
2,800 nm with eight passengers, at Mach
0.80 and with NBAA IFR reserves. Current price is $19.9 million.
The 500 can carry up to 12 passengers in a cabin that is near super-midsize, measuring 26 feet 10 inches long,
6 feet 10 inches wide and 6 feet tall.
Customers can choose between a large,
well appointed forward galley opposite annex storage or a single, side-facing seat ideal for a cabin attendant. Or
they can have a side-facing, two-place
divan opposite a small refreshment center. The wet galley features hot and cold
water, four gallons of potable water,
crystal storage and an ice drawer, compartments for china and silverware,
110V power outlet and optional monitor and espresso maker.
Passengers can bring more luggage,
skis, golf clubs and anything else than
they could fit in almost any other midsize
or super-midsize jet. The 500 has 150 cu
ft of baggage space: 110 in the external
compartment and another 40 in the closet
that can be accessed through the lavatory.
Cessna Citation Sovereign+
Cessna received certification for its
refreshed $18.13 million midsize stalwart
The stretched and refreshed $22.925
million Citation X received FAA certification on June 26. Announced in 2010,
it features many of the same avionics and
cabin upgrades found in the new Sovereign+ as well as a 15-inch cabin stretch for
better passenger legroom. The new X+
also includes new winglets and a pair of
updated Rolls-Royce AE3007C2 engines
rated at 7,034 pounds of thrust each for
a 4-percent boost in takeoff thrust, 9 percent better climb performance, 7 percent more cruise thrust and a 1.4-percent
improvement in specific fuel consumption. The changes yield a variety of performance improvements for the X+.
Payload increases by 214 pounds, range
at high-speed cruise increases by 211 nm
to 3,107 nm and the initial cruise altitude
increases to FL450 from FL430. Time to
climb to FL450 is 23 minutes; to FL350
(anti-ice off) it is 13 minutes.
The X+ has a higher initial maximum
cruise altitude and is able to fly faster at
various altitudes; cruise speeds increase
by between 2 and 19 knots, depending
on altitude. At FL350 high-speed cruise
increases to 527 ktas from 525 ktas, while
at FL490 it bumps to 479 ktas from 460
ktas. However, you still have to step climb
this airplane after that to reach its maximum cruise altitude of 51,000 feet. The
new X+ also reclaims bragging rights as
the world’s fastest civil production aircraft, with a new top speed of Mach 0.935.
Super-Midsize
Cessna Citation Longitude
This stretched and longer-legged
$25.9 million variant of the Citation
Latitude is scheduled to enter service
in 2017. It shares the Latitude’s avionics, cabin management system, seats,
windows and fuselage cross-section,
but is nine feet longer and turns to
Snecma’s Fadec-controlled Silvercrest
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Bombardier Learjet 75
Bombardier Global 7000
BUSINESS
JETS
uContinued from preceding page
Bombardier Challenger 350
Bombardier announced the Challenger
350 last year–a revised Challenger 300 with
a new wing, more powerful engines, new
cabin windows that are 20 percent larger,
and redesigned interior. The $25.8 million
aircraft gained Transport Canada certification on June 12 and FAA approval June
25. The 350 has a new, longer wing with
canted winglets and more fuel capacity that
increases range to 3,200 nm and mtow to
40,600 pounds. Engine thrust is increased
by 500 pounds by a pair of new Honeywell
HTF7350 engines (7,323 pounds of thrust
each). The cockpit features upgraded
Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics.
Large
Dassault Falcon 5X
Dassault revealed its long-anticipated
new large-cabin twin, the 5X, late last
year. The first aircraft will fly next year
and certification will likely occur in 2017.
Gulfstream G650ER
Dassault Falcon 8X
Bombardier Challenger 350
Dassault Falcon 5X
The $45 million 5X features a much larger
fuselage diameter than past models–8.86
feet, even wider than the company’s current 7X flagship (8.2 feet). The new tube
yields 78 inches of headroom and an
overall volume of 1,766 cu ft. It is widely
expected to be the template for follow-on
models. Cabin configurations available
include seating for 12 passengers.
Dassault claims that the aircraft will
be 50 percent more fuel efficient and cost
30 percent less to operate than competitive models from other manufacturers.
The 5X will feature fly-by-wire controls
with sidesticks, Snecma Silvercrest engines
(11,450 pounds of thrust each) and avionics
based on the Honeywell-based EASy system, with dual head-up displays (HUDs).
The HUDs will feature a new combined
vision system (CVS), which includes synthetic and enhanced vision information.
The 5X will have an mtow of 69,600
pounds, a maximum range of 5,200 nm,
a top speed of Mach 0.9 and much longer
maintenance intervals than previous Falcons. The aircraft also has an all-new wing
that incorporates a fresh winglet design and
flaperons, a large cockpit with expansive
windows and reclining crew seats.
Gulfstream Large-cabin Program
Speculation has abounded for several years, and achieved a fresh pace
38 Aviation International News • October 2014 • www.ainonline.com
recently, that Gulfstream was getting
ready to replace the G450 and G550,
both of which use a fuselage tube that
dates back to the 1950s. The new model
would use the wider and taller fuselage
cross section of the much larger G650
and incorporate more efficient manufacturing techniques and advanced features such as fly-by-wire flight controls.
HUD system from the 5X will be incorporated into the system and a new FMS
will be developed for the aircraft. Landing
speed increases to 106 knots and the landing gear has been strengthened to accommodate the extra weight. The $58 million
8X is expected to make its first flight early
next year and receive certification in 2016.
Large-Cabin, Long-Range
Gulfstream announced a longerrange version of its G650 flagship in
May. The G650ER has range increased
to 7,500 nm (at Mach 0.85) from 7,000
nm on the straight G650. The ER
option uses existing wing capacity to
carry an extra 4,000 pounds of fuel,
boosting the aircraft’s mtow to 104,000
pounds and requiring 500 feet of additional balanced field length to 6,360
feet. Relatively few other changes were
required to gain the range, such as modifying the FMS software.
The ER option will be offered as a
retrofit for existing G650s and installation time is estimated at one week. The
price of the option is expected to boost
the base price of the G650 by approximately $2 million. Gulfstream expects to
receive certification of the G650ER later
this year. The company has already flown
a G650ER demonstrator on a 7,494-nm
Dassault Falcon 8X
Dassault unveiled plans for a longerrange, stretched version of its 7X flagship
in May.
The 8X adds 500 nm in range, taking it
to a maximum of 6,450 nm, and a 3.6-foot
fuselage stretch that increases cabin volume to 1,765 cu ft. Lengthening the tube
facilitates the installation of a shower in
the aft lav and a compliant crew rest area
in the forward cabin. The range increase
is derived from a 3,000-pound increase in
fuel capacity, mostly in the fuselage tanks.
The 8X will feature a new wing with a better lift-to-drag ratio and new winglets.
The new wing is 600 pounds lighter
than the one on the 7X. Power comes from
a trio of uprated Pratt & Whitney Canada
PW307D engines (6,725 pounds of thrust
each). The cockpit retains the 7X’s fly-bywire controls and sidesticks; however, the
Gulfstream G650ER
Continues on page 40 u
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engines (11,000 pounds of thrust each)
for power. The engine hot sections
and times between overhaul (TBOs)
will be “on condition,” much like airliner engines. The autothrottle-equipped
Longitude will have limited fly-by-wire
(FBW) capabilities for controlling the
rudder, spoilers and brakes (“brakeby-wire”). The 30-degree swept wing
will incorporate leading-edge slats,
winglets, centrifugal ailerons and five
speed-brake/spoiler panels per side.
Cessna has selected the Garmin G5000
for the Longitude, using the same threescreen “touch control” avionics architecture that the company is employing on
both the Latitude and the revised X+ and
Sovereign+. The CMS will build on the
new wireless Clairity system.
The Longitude will have seating for
eight passengers, a full-fuel payload of
1,950 pounds, a maximum range of 4,000
nm at Mach 0.82 and an Mmo of Mach
0.86. Takeoff distance at an mtow of
55,000 pounds is estimated at 5,400 feet,
but that drops to 4,000 on missions of
2,000 nm or less with lighter loads. Service ceiling is 45,000 feet.
The cabin features a large forward galley
and aft lavatory with vacuum-flushing toilet. The forward cabin may include a crew
lavatory as well as a third crew/flight attendant seat. Like the Latitude’s, the Longitude’s interior cross-section is 72 inches tall
and 77 inches wide. The forward club-four
configuration is capacious and the single
executive seats are full-berthing. There is
room for another club-four in the aft cabin
or a three-place divan, certified for takeoff and landing, opposite an entertainment
center with large flat-screen monitor.
BUSINESS
JETS
uContinued from page 38
flight from Hong Kong to New York in
14 hours 7 minutes at Mach 0.865.
Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000
Boeing BBJ Max
Airbus ACJ Neo
Embraer Lineage 1000E
cores in the 15,000-pound-thrust range
could be applied to the new design, including the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW800,
GE Passport and Rolls-Royce BR710.
The company said it would announce an
engine selection later this month.
Aerion continues to search for a manufacturing partner. If one is found, the aircraft could be certified in 2021, assuming
a first flight in late 2018 or early 2019, followed by a 24-month certification program.
Airliners
Embraer Lineage 1000E
Embraer introduced its secondgeneration Lineage 1000–the “E” for
enhanced–late last year. The revised
model slims down by 500 pounds and
boosts maximum range to 4,600 nm
from 4,400 nm. The 1000E features
improved cockpit avionics, passenger
electronics, seats and interior doors.
Cockpit options now include autoland
and a combined head-up display and an
enhanced-vision system with an infrared nose camera. The package facilitates Cat I and II landings.
In the cabin, Honeywell now provides Ovation Select as the standard digital CMS. A fully integrated
media center concentrates multimedia devices and video inputs, such
as Blu-ray players, iPod docks and
HDMI or USB ports. The integrated
media center concentrates all manner
of multimedia devices and the system
delivers HD video and Dolby 5.1 surround sound on larger and slimmer
monitors and Apple TV. It also can
accommodate Android-based devices.
High-speed Internet is available via the
optional Honeywell system, which uses
Inmarsat. Other improvements include
new seats, electric pocket doors, more
galley equipment and counter space
Aerion AS2
and better acoustic insulation that cuts
cabin noise by up to one-third.
BBJ Max & Airbus ACJ Neo
Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) announced
in late 2012 that it will build the BBJ Max,
an executive version of the 737 Max outfitted with CFM International Leap 1-B
engines. Initial deliveries are expected in
2017 or 2018. Airbus also announced
that it would make its re-engined “neo”
(new engine option) A319/320/321 available for the Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ)
program beginning in 2018. Neo customers have a choice of either the LeapX engine or the Pratt & Whitney Pure
Power 1100G.
The Supersonics
Aerion AS2
Earlier this year, Aerion revamped its
proposed supersonic bizjet as a trijet that
40 Aviation International News • October 2014 • www.ainonline.com
features more range and a larger cabin.
The new AS2–Aerion supersonic second
design–retains its predecessor design’s signature supersonic natural laminar-flow
wing, but now will have a range of at
least 5,000 nm and a cabin cross-section
nearly the size of a Gulfstream G550’s.
The 30-foot-long cabin, which is 17 feet
shorter than the G550’s, will feature a twolounge layout, galley and both forward
and aft lavatories, plus a baggage compartment that is accessible in flight. Mtow
grows to 115,000 pounds and the fuselage is lengthened to 160 feet. Balanced
field length is 7,500 feet at mtow, but
that is reduced to 6,000 at weights below
100,000 pounds. Flying at the lighter
weight reduces range by approximately
20 percent. Maximum speed is Mach
1.6; however, the aircraft is designed to
cruise efficiently at Mach 0.95 to comply
with existing supersonic overflight bans.
Aerion says a variety of existing engine
Spike Aerospace S-512
Spike’s twinjet design features a windowless cabin with seating for 12 to 18
passengers, fly-by-wire flight controls,
a range of 4,000 nm and a top speed
of Mach 1.6. Engine selection remains
pending. The company continues to
search for additional funding for the $1
billion program and estimates a market
for 600 aircraft between 2020 and 2030.
HyperMach SonicStar
This design features a top speed of
Mach 4.5, a maximum range of 6,500 nm
and seating for up to 32 passengers. The
company said it has completed several
rounds of financing and is continuing to
develop its revolutionary 65,000-poundthrust H-Magjet 4400 hybrid turbofan
ramjet engines with sister company SonicBlue. First flight is estimated in 2022
and certification in 2025 for the $180 million aircraft.
o
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Bombardier continues development
of a pair of new aircraft with more range
and fuel efficiency than the company’s current Global 6000 flagship. Both aircraft
use the current Global 6000 fuselage but
stretch it–the 7000 by 11 feet, 3 inches and
the 8000 by two feet, three inches–and add
bigger cabin windows extending higher up
the sidewall. The aircraft are scheduled to
enter service in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Bombardier has said that the aircraft
will use a new thin high-speed wing, fuelefficient GE Passport engines (16,500
pounds of thrust each) and Rockwell
Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics. GE
has already conducted extensive ground
tests, with six engines logging nearly 700
hours. Tests on a flying test bed are slated
to begin early next year.
Bombardier said that at Mach 0.85 the
range for the 7000 bumps up to 7,300 nm
and 7,900 nm for the 8000. Range numbers assume 10 passengers and four crew
on the 8000. Maximum ramp weights for
both aircraft top 105,000 pounds. The
price is expected to be in the $65 million
range (2010).