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Otto’s Phantom 3500 features a lightweight composite structure and laminar flow aerodynamics.
Two aircraft-makers announced new business jets on Sept. 29 and 30, both challenging the conventional size categories that have long defined this market. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. launched the G300—the first of which is already manufactured—and startup Otto Aerospace launched the clean-sheet Phantom 3500.
With a price point of $28.9 million, the G300 will replace the G280 super-midsize business jet—FAA-certified in 2012—that Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) manufactures under license from Gulfstream. The successor aircraft is targeted for certification by early 2027.
- One jet includes cabin windows; one does not
- Flexjet is Otto’s launch customer
Powered by twin Honeywell HTF7250G turbofans, each rated at 7,624 lb. thrust, the G300 is the smallest and latest addition to Gulfstream’s new family of six business jets. These include the G400 (with 4,200-nm range at Mach 0.85, nearing FAA certification), G500 (5,300-nm range at Mach 0.90, certified in 2018), G600 (6,600-nm range at Mach 0.85, certified in 2019), G700 (7,750-nm range at Mach 0.85, certified in 2024) and G800 (8,200-nm range at Mach 0.85, certified in April) (AW&ST May 19-June 1, p. 51).
During the unveiling of a cabin mockup in Savannah, Georgia, on Sept. 30, Gulfstream President Mark Burns called the G300 program “incredibly mature.” A first test aircraft is undergoing taxi testing in Israel in preparation for its first flight, and two more jets are in production.
The G300 is designed to fly to a maximum range of 3,600 nm at Mach 0.80 with four passengers, two crew and National Business Aviation Association instrument flight rules (NBAA IFR) reserves. It is planned to accommodate up to 10 passengers.
Similar in operating range and capacity to the G280, the G300 will feature a new cabin interior and Gulfstream Harmony flight deck with six touchscreen displays based on the Honeywell Epic 2 avionics system. The cabin will have 10 Gulfstream panoramic oval windows, with a cabin altitude of 4,800 ft. when flying at 41,000 ft., the manufacturer says.
“The all-new Gulfstream G300 redefines the super-midsize segment,” Burns said at the unveiling. “It brings the large-cabin features that we’re so known for into the mid-cabin segment, taking what was already exceptional about the G280 performance and elevating it through additional safety, comfort and technology.”
Burns said the G300 will be manufactured on the same terms as the G280. IAI assembles the G280 in Israel, then flies green aircraft to Gulfstream’s mid-cabin completions center at Dallas Love Field for finishing and painting.
IAI contracted with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in June 2019 to supply the G280’s wing, which was built previously by Triumph Aerospace Structures. IAI and KAI reached a similar agreement in December 2020 for select fuselage structures.
Phantom 3500
Otto Aerospace launched in 2008, focused on developing a clean-sheet private aircraft that would slash operating costs. The result is the $19.5 million Phantom 3500.
Designed with a lightweight composite structure and laminar flow aerodynamics, the Phantom 3500 is expected to burn up to 60% less fuel than other business jets in its class. First flight of the jet, which has a T-tail and high-aspect-ratio wing, is expected in 2027. FAA Part 23 certification and deliveries are slated for 2030.
Fractional operator Flexjet has placed a firm order for 300 of the super-midsize aircraft. The agreement, which includes an unspecified number of options, was announced at the UP.Summit on futuristic transportation in Bentonville, Arkansas, and is Otto’s first fleet operator deal.
The order marks another significant expansion for Flexjet, which placed a record $7 billion order in February with Embraer Executive Jets for 182 aircraft—a mix of light Phenom 300Es and midsize Praetor 500/600s—with options for another 30. The fractional operator is also continuing to transition gradually to a mix of larger aircraft within its growing fleet, which numbers 325. The company is phasing out its Bombardier Challenger 300s and will replace them with the Praetor 600s; the Phantom 3500s are expected to form part of the longer-term replacement cycle into the 2030s (AW&ST Sept. 29-Oct. 12, p. 60).
Although Flexjet acquires an average of 40-50 new aircraft per year, its net fleet growth averages 20-30 aircraft per year because of this replacement cycle.
Flexjet Chairman Kenn Ricci described the Phantom 3500 as “a bold step into a future where an aircraft’s efficiency and sustainability stand alongside speed, comfort and range as defining standards.” The jet will weigh 19,000 lb. and fly 3,500 nm with a Mach 0.80 cruise speed. Its range with four passengers under NBAA IFR reserves is 3,200 nm.
The aircraft, which will be powered by a pair of 3,600-lb.-thrust Williams FJ44s, is also designed for cruise altitudes up to 51,000 ft., where low atmospheric density and clear air promote natural laminar flow—a low-drag condition in which airflow over the surface is smooth and consistent.
Even if natural laminar flow cannot be achieved on shorter flights at lower altitudes and in turbulent conditions, Otto says the Phantom 3500’s light weight will be an improvement over current aircraft. To achieve the required level of natural laminar flow, the company plans to manufacture the jet using resin transfer molding, an out-of-autoclave process to produce precisely shaped composite structures.
The laminar flow design also enables Otto to expand cabin volume without increasing drag. The Phantom 3500 cabin is 6.4 ft. high and 7.5 ft. wide, slightly larger than that of the competing Challenger 3500.
To maintain laminarity around the fuselage, however, the Phantom 3500 will not have conventional cabin windows. Instead, the cabin will be configured with 72-in.-wide light-emitting-diode screens showing views from external cameras. Dubbed SuperNatural Vision, the screens can display color-enhanced, panoramic views or augmented reality, synthetic views at night, or they can be used for streaming and videoconferencing.
Otto intends to build the Phantom 3500 at its planned campus at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, with support of a $515 million incentive package from the state of Florida.
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