FLUG REVUE December 2003: Report from the NBAA Convention

NBAA 2003: RECOVERY IN SIGHT

By Volker K. Thomalla

One of the new offerings at this year's NBAA was unveiled the day before the trade show opened: Gulfstream Aerospace of Savannah, Georgia unveiled its brand new aircraft, the Gulfstream G450, to a select audience that included FLUG REVUE at the airfield in Kissimmee, Florida. The twin-engined long haul jet was developed alongside the two ultra-long-range G500 and G550 jets. Pres Henne, Senior Vice President Programs, presented the aircraft. Compared with its predecessor model, the GIV-SP, the G450 has a 250nm (463km) longer range, a pressurised cabin altitude that is more pleasant for passengers (6,000ft), Gulfstream's PlaneView cockpit, new Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8C engines with full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) and a new thrust reverse system. The engines are being built by Rolls-Royce Deutschland in Dahlewitz. Also featuring on the G450 as standard are the infrared Enhanced Visual System (EVS) and a new, quieter and more reliable auxiliary power unit (APU).

On the G450, Gulfstream has in principle integrated the G550 systems into a smaller fuselage, where “smaller” is a relative term, as the G450 has a respectable length of 27.73m and wingspan of 23.70m. The company had succeeded in keeping the development of the G450 under wraps until the eve of the NBAA. So when the first G450 rolled out in Kissimmee, it was greeted with surprise. Pres Henne commented, “There are four jets already flying, and the maiden flight took place on 30 April. We are hoping to achieve certification in the fourth quarter of 2004, with delivery to the first customer in the second quarter of 2005.” There are another 1,000 flying hours to go before certification.

The G450 was developed in parallel to the G550. This is the first time that Gulfstream has developed two aircraft programmes at the same time. The G450 has taken on board many of the characteristics of the G550. Thus, as Pres Henne pointed out, “The front section of the G450 comes straight from the G550.”

Bombardier Aerospace also brought a new aircraft to Florida. The Global 5000, the little brother of the Global Express, had its NBAA debut, having flown for the first time on 7 March 2003. The twin-jet interrupted its flight test programme at the Bombardier Flight Test Center in Wichita, Kansas to glide in to the Orlando Executive Airport the day before the show opened. The second prototype of the Global 5000 is scheduled to fly in December and will undergo flight testing along with the first Global 5000, with the aim of achieving certification by the FAA, JAA and Transport Canada in the first quarter of 2004. Following completion of the cabin interior, the first Global 5000 will enter service as a demonstration aircraft for Bombardier in the fourth quarter of 2004.

The Global 5000 has a range of 4,800nm (8,889km) and is powered by two BR710A2-20 turbofans. Its maximum take-off weight is stated by Bombardier at 39,780kg. Bombardier was not prepared to disclose how many orders it had. Peter Edwards, President of Bombardier Aerospace Business Aircraft, said in an interview with FLUG REVUE, that the plane was selling very well and had won a number of prestigious customers.

Bombardier also announced that the Global Express is being upgraded and in future will be offered as the Global Express XRS. The improved version will have a longer range, higher cruising speed, better take-off performance and be quicker to refuel. To this end the business twin-jet has an extra 674kg tank in the fuselage-wing joint. At a cruise speed of Mach 0.85, the range will increase to 6,150nm (11,400km).

The Bombardier Enhanced Vision System (BEVS) is to be fitted as standard on the Global Express XRS. Thanks to a lower pressurised cabin altitude, passengers enjoy greater comfort during long haul flights. At FL 450, the pressurised cabin altitude of the Global Express XRS will be only 4,500ft. And even at FL 510, the cabin pressure will be no higher than the pressure 5,700ft above sea level. An optional cabin humidification system is intended to enhance cabin comfort still further.

Dassault Aviation had no doubt imagined that the year in which the Dassault Falcon celebrates forty years would be easier than it has turned out to be. Jean Rosanvallon, President of Dassault Falcon Jets in Teterboro and, since October, member of the Executive Committee at Dassault with responsibility for civil aircraft, said, “The first two quarters of this year were disappointing for us. We only sold 25 aircraft. That corresponds to two-thirds of the US market in this segment. Most of those sales were replacements of older aircraft; there is little room for expansion among the operators at present.” But in the last three months there have been signs of a slow market recovery, according to Charles Edelstenne, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dassault Aviation in Orlando. The last quarter, he said, would hopefully confirm these more positive indications. His company was in discussions with a number of potential purchasers and hoped to end the year with close on 40 Falcon sales.

Development and preparations for production are currently in full swing for the latest member of the Falcon family, the three-engined Falcon 7X. The detailed design will be complete this year, wind tunnel testing is already finished and has confirmed the calculated values. The new “Charles Lindbergh” production building at Bordeaux-Mérignac airport was commissioned on 15 September and will serve as additional hanger space for other programmes up to the arrival of the first 7X components. However, this is not far off, as the first 7X parts have already been manufactured. Dassault is planning on the basis that the maiden flight of the Falcon will take place in the second quarter of 2005 and that the aircraft will receive its official blessing in the form of certification on both sides of the Atlantic one year later. The first Falcon 7X customer will take delivery of its aircraft in the second half of 2006. With a range of 5,700nm (10,556km), the 7X will be the Falcon with the longest range so far. The chosen powerplant is the Pratt & Whitney PW307A, which has a 6,100lb take-off thrust.

Among the business jet derivatives of airliners, Airbus was once again showing the A319ACJ in Orlando, and announced that Blue Moon Aviation from Minneapolis would be the first company offering charter services on the A319 Executive in North America. Blue Moon President and CEO Richard Page said, “The Airbus A319 is sufficiently roomy to transport sports teams and their support staff to the USA. With the biggest and most comfortable cabin in its class, the aircraft is set to be a winner, especially among the larger players.” The Blue Moon aircraft is configured with 56 seats, a number which, if required, can be raised to 72.

With its BBJ and BBJ2, Boeing Business Jet has delivered the most business jets so far, but for the moment the market is saturated. The order backlog for the BBJ has slumped to nil.

Boeing was also exhibiting the Business Express variant of the 717, which had its debut in Geneva at EBACE (covered by FLUG REVUE earlier in the year). New for purchasers of the 717 Business Express is a tailored support package that takes planning for maintenance and overhaul off the customer's hands, if required. However, the company was unable to name any launch customer for the Business Express.

Ben Bartel, CEO and majority shareholder of AvCraft, the company which has taken over a part of the former Fairchild Dornier GmbH, was giving his first press conference at NBAA. AvCraft has purchased the production rights and certification for the Dornier high-wing aeroplane and is responsible for support to the aircraft. Bartel reported that there were still 18 finished 328's on hand, 75 percent of which were already sold. However, he sees only 60 percent of the market for the Dornier 328 in the airline area, the remaining 40 percent lying in the area of corporate and special missions. The company had had a fresh injection of capital, he added, and on 18 August the first Dornier 328 was delivered to Hainan Airlines in Oberpfaffenhofen. Production of the 328 would resume in the fourth quarter of 2003, and deliveries of newly built aircraft should commence in the second quarter of 2004.

From page 34 of FLUG REVUE 12/2003

Last updated 10 November 2003

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