Can New Products Shake Bizav Out Of Doldrums?

Bombardier powered up the first ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range Global 7000 in early October, ahead of a first flight later this year. Launched in 2010, entry into service was delayed in 2015 by two years to the second half of 2018 to free up resources to complete development of the C Series airliner. There was also a wing redesign and manufacturing issues at supplier Triumph Aerostructures.

Retaining the fuselage cross-section of the Global 5000/6000, the Global 7000 is stretched, and introduces a new wing, 16,500-lb.-thrust GE Passport engines and fly-by-wire flight controls. With a 92,500-lb gross weight, the aircraft is designed to fly eight passengers 7,400 nm at Mach 0.85 and 51,000 ft. Maximum cruise speed is Mach 0.90 and maximum operating speed Mach 0.925.

Also unveiled in 2010, for service entry in 2019, the shorter-cabin, but longer-legged Global 8000 has been on the back burner while resources have been focused on completing the C Series and developing the Global 7000. Bombardier says it will evaluate the 8000’s schedule after the first 7000 is in flight testing.

Created by the merger of Eclipse Aerospace and Kestrel Aviation, One Aviation returned the Eclipse very light jet to production in 2013 as the EA550. Now the company has launched Project Canada to develop an improved Eclipse, with first flight scheduled for the third quarter of 2017 and certification a year later. It is priced at $3.5 million, versus just under $3 million for the EA550.

The new variant is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW615Fs producing 1,170 lb. thrust, 19% more than the PW610Fs in the EA550. A new wing root section with greater leading-edge sweep increases span by 3.8 ft., area by 13% and houses 470 lb. more fuel. Gross weight is raised 900 lb. to 6,900 lb., and the avionics have been replaced with a Garmin G3000 flight deck.

Bigger engines and a larger wing substantially improve hot-and-high takeoff and climb performance. The Canada will fly 1,400 nm, or carry 475 lb. more payload over the same 1,068-nm range as the EA550. Maximum cruise speed is raised to 383 kt. from 375 kt., and the aircraft will cruise at Mach 0.65 up to its increased operational ceiling of 43,000 ft.

Cessna’s move to larger business jets continues with the first flight of the super-midsize Citation Longitude on Oct. 8. This follows the first customer deliveries in August of the midsize Citation Latitude. The Longitude is expected to enter service in late 2017 and will be followed by the clean-sheet large-cabin Citation Hemisphere, which is planned to fly in 2019 and enter service in 2022.

The Longitude is the largest Citation to date. Powered by 7,550-lb.-thrust Honeywell HTF7700L engines and equipped with a Garmin G5000 integrated flight-deck, the Longitude has a maximum range of 3,400 nm, cruise speed of 476 kt. and operating altitude of 45,000 ft. Maximum operating speed is Mach 0.84.

While the Longitude and 2,850-nm-range Latitude share a 72-in.-high by 77-in.-wide cabin cross-section, the 4,500-nm Hemisphere will have a cabin diameter of 102 in.—larger than the class-leading Bombardier Challenger and the same width as the Dassault Falcon 5X and Gulfstream G650.

Parent Textron Aviation, meanwhile, is not neglecting the light sector and has launched the single-turboprop Cessna Denali as a direct competitor for the Pilatus PC-12. Powered by General Electric’s European-developed 1,240-shp Advanced Turboprop, the Denali has a maximum range of 1,600 nm and cruise speed of 285 kt. First flight is scheduled for 2018 and service entry for 2019.

Embraer has introduced an upgraded Phenom 100EV entry-level jet, with service entry planned for the first half of 2017. The EV introduces a touch-screen flight deck based on Garmin G3000 avionics and uprated, 1,730-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F1-E turbofans.

The engines provide 15% more hot-and-high thrust, and the EV has a 405-kt. high-speed cruise and range with four occupants of 1,178 nm. Assembly on the Phenom 100/300 in Brazil ended in July, and the light jets are now assembled exclusively in Melbourne, Florida, where Embraer in June opened a second assembly line for the midsize Legacy 450/500.

Dassault’s latest business jet, and its first stretch of an existing design, the Falcon 8X, entered service in October. Derived from the all-new Falcon 7X, the larger-cabin, longer-range 8X first flew in February 2015. Powered by three 6,720-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307Ds, the fly-by-wire aircraft can fly eight passengers 6,450 nm at Mach 0.80 and 51,000 ft. Maximum operating speed is Mach 0.90.

Development of Dassault’s next clean-sheet business jet, the large-cabin Falcon 5X, is frozen because of an 18-month delay in certifying Safran’s all-new Silvercrest turbofan. Rolled out in June 2015, the aircraft is now scheduled to fly in 2017 and enter service in 2020. Powered by two 11,450-lb.-thrust Silvercrests, the fly-by-wire 5X is designed to transport eight passengers 5,200 nm at Mach 0.80 and 51,000 ft.

Certification of Cirrus Aircraft’s single-turbofan Vision Jet SF50 is imminent, with first deliveries planned this year. Cirrus holds more than 600 orders and deposits for the seven-seat personal jet, which is powered by a 1,800-lb.-thrust Williams FJ33-5A.

With a gross weight of 6,000 lb., the SF50 has a maximum cruise speed of 300 kt. and operating altitude of 28,000 ft. Range is expected to be 1,200 nm. Features include a Garmin-developed touch-screen flight deck and a ballistic parachute airframe recovery system.

The clean-sheet G500, which will replace the G450 in Gulfstream’s product line, is on track for certification in 2017 and entry into service in 2018. The G500 first flew in May 2015, and the fifth test aircraft—and first with an outfitted cabin —joined the flight-test program in August. The first stretched G600, with longer cabin and greater range, is expected to fly by year-end, for service entry in 2019.

Compared with the G450, the fly-by-wire G500 has a longer and wider cabin, larger windows and lower cabin altitude. The aircraft is designed to fly 5,000 nm at Mach 0.85 or 3,800 nm at Mach 0.90. Maximum operating speed is Mach 0.925 and altitude 51,000 ft. The G600 has a 5-ft.-longer cabin and 8-ft.-greater wingspan and is designed to fly 6,200 nm at Mach 0.85 or 4,800 nm at Mach 0.90.

The G500 is powered by two 15,144-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada PW814GA turbofans and the G600 by 15,680-lb.-thrust PW815GAs. These are based on the core of the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan powering Bombardier’s C Series airliner. Built on Honeywell Primus Epic integrated avionics, the G500/G600 flight deck features 10 touch-screen displays, synthetic vision, active sidesticks and head-up displays with enhanced vision.

Pilatus Aircraft delivered the 1,400th PC-12 turboprop single in July, and first deliveries of its PC-24 light jet are on track for the second half of 2017. The first prototype flew in May 2015, and a third, production-standard aircraft is set to join the 1,600-hr. flight-test program by year-end.

The Swiss manufacturer’s first business jet, the PC-24 is intended to provide the same versatility as the rugged and popular PC-12 and is designed for operation from short runways and unimproved airstrips. The flat-floor cabin is large for a light jet, and a cargo door is standard.

Powered by two 3,400-lb.-thrust Williams FJ44-4A turbofans, the PC-24 is designed to fly four passengers 1,950 nm; maximum cruise speed is expected to exceed 425 kt., and maximum operating altitude is 45,000 ft. The flight deck is based on Honeywell Primus Apex integrated avionics. Pilatus holds orders for 84 aircraft, and will reopen the orderbook in October 2017, following certification.