Archive for the ‘Business Jets’ Category
Sunday, June 7th, 2009
The name ‘Lear’ in business jet aviation rightly brings associations of innovation, elegance and sheer chutzpah. For, the fact is, Bill Lear started it all.
Lear was far from the first to design a jet. That honor (though there are historical disputes) may belong to Frank Whittle just before the days of WWII. But he was unquestionably the first to design and successfully market a small business jet.
And, not just any business jet, but one that would become the gold standard. Long before Bill Gates was a teenager (the Google guys weren’t even born yet), William Lear started Swiss American Aviation Company. The company evolved in the mid-1960s to bear his name and his imprint.
Young entrepreneurs would dream of owning one. They still do. Many are still in the air. After many mergers and much evolution the company was acquired by Bombardier, who have continued the tradition of making stellar aircraft.
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Tags: Bill Lear, Biz Jets, Bombardier 850, business jet, business jet aviation, cessna mustang, Eclipse 500, Frank Whittle, Lear, Learjet, Learjet 25, small business jet, stellar aircraft, Swiss American Aviation Company, Very Light Jet, VLJ, William Lear
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Saturday, June 6th, 2009
Air travelers, whether they know it or not, are used to flying in aircraft that are often 30 years old or older. Many commercial jets in use were manufactured in that era. A great many business and corporate jets are equally old. Hundreds of Learjets from the 1970s or older are still in service. Well maintained, that’s not a problem. They were designed to deliver good performance for a long time.
But it’s also true that technology has advanced tremendously over the same time frame. Computer controlled electronics and avionics, materials and much more have all reached a state of the art that the founders of jet design only imagined. Riding in a jet manufactured to the latest specs provides a speed, convenience and pleasure that older jets simply can’t match.
Fresh off the assembly line in June, 2007, for example, is the Dassault Falcon 7X.
As just one demonstration of its state of the art prowess, the Falcon 7X contains a fly-by-wire system. The leading edge of avionics, this system reduces weight and allows extremely stable and fine mastery of control surfaces. Computerized controls interact with the cables and electronics needed to direct angles of flaps and other gear. Near instantaneous adjustment to all flying conditions results.
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Tags: A700 AdamJet, Adam Aircraft, air travelers, aircraft, avionics, business jet design, business jet pie, Business Jets, commercial jets, computer controlled electronics, corporate jets, Dassault Falcon 7X, Falcon 7X, Flying, Learjets, smaller business jets, Very Light Jet, VLJ
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Saturday, June 6th, 2009
It’s been several years now since the Concorde ceased making flights between New York and London or Paris. But the demand for rapid long-range travel has never cooled. Fortunately, several entrepreneurs are well-positioned to meet that demand – with supersonic business jets.
Currently, the fastest business jet on the market is the Citation X. At 0.9 Mach it speeds along at 90% of the speed of sound (761 mi/hr), putting its top speed around 685 mph (1102 kph). But that is top speed, not consistent cruising speed. And even that number still puts a flight from New York to London at around 5 hours. Wouldn’t it be great if that were closer to 3 hours?
The supersonic business jets on the drawing boards and being prototyped now promise to do just that.
One frontrunner is the Aerion SBJ (Supersonic Business Jet). Backed by financing from Texas billionair Robert Bass, and the expertise of several highly experienced executives and engineers, Aerion plans to deliver the first model by 2011. While any business plan can go awry, especially when breaking new ground, the company has a solid plan and realistic technology.
The SBJ will use a considerable amount of technology already in existence, so the risk of failure due to untried methods is much lower. At the same time, the plane design is innovative in its handling of technical problems like airflow and sonic boom generation. But those two issues are being well handled.
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Tags: boeing supersonic business jet, business jet, concorde supersonic jet, fastest business jet, sukhoi supersonic business jet, supersonic business jet netjets, supersonic business jet sbj, supersonic business jet wind tunnel, supersonic commercial jets, supersonic corporate jet, supersonic passenger jet, supersonic personal jet
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Friday, June 5th, 2009
Bizjets, Biz Jets, or business jets… Whatever you call them, they are moving out of the realm of the super-rich and into that of the everyday business traveler.
In decades past a Lear jet or Gulfstream was almost exclusively the province of the ultra-rich with cash to spare. They provided a level of privacy, comfort and convenience that no major airline could match. With separate airfields, schedules designed around the traveler’s needs, not the airlines’, private jets were the ultimate in air travel.
But those advantages came at a price tag that few could afford. Hugh Hefner had his famous Playboy Bunny jet. The Sultan of Brunei could command a fleet of Gulfstream models. But the business traveler was still stuck with plain old TWA.
Improved production costs and rising commercial airfares, not to mention the increased pace of an already active business life, created a heightened demand for these air taxis. Multitudes of executives and individual businessmen saw the advantage of paying a higher individual ‘fare’ in order to save time and hassle.
New arrangements for sharing the costs, called ‘fractional ownership’, evolved. Business jets became the timeshare condo of the 1990s. Several businesses would each lease a percentage of the total potential flying time of a Gulfstream or a Lear or a Cessna.
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Tags: air travel, airfields, airline, Biz Jets, bizjets, Business Jets, business traveler, Cessna, commercial airfares, fractional ownership, Gulfstream, Hugh Hefner, larger jets, Lear jet, Private jets
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Saturday, May 30th, 2009
Individuals involved in the aviation business are a terrific combination of romantic adventurer and practical businessperson. Nowhere is that more true than at Eclipse Aviation, creators of the newest Very Light Jet: the Eclipse 500.
A revolutionary new design, the Eclipse is a lightweight, five-seat business jet that is targeted to sell for around $1.5 million. That may sound like a lot of money, until you consider that even low-end Learjets sell for $10 million or more.
The Eclipse is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW610F turbofan engines mounted in tail-end nacelles. Yes, the same Pratt & Whitney that makes lawnmower engines, but a different division. Needless to say, these babies deliver a little bit more thrust than your average grass cutting machine. Cruising speed is 375 knots (403 mph/672 kph) with a range of 1,280 nautical miles (1472 mi/2,455 km).
The airframe required the development of radically new manufacturing techniques and Eclipse engineers stepped up to the plate. Replacing riveting with a system of welding for the skin and underlying structure, the design calls for a composite body made from an aluminum skin laid in a mold. The structure is then built on top, just the reverse of how one typically thinks of manufacturing processes where the skin goes on last.
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Tags: business jet companies, business jet eclipse aviation, corporate jet, eclipse 500 private jet, eclipse albuquerque nm, eclipse business inkjet, eclipse business jet air taxi, eclipse business very light jets, eclipse executive jet, used business jet
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Saturday, May 30th, 2009
One of a new breed of VLJ (Very Light Jets), the new Cessna Mustang is aptly named. Whether it brings to mind an image of the classic 1965 Ford auto or the wild horse of Montana, this plane is as free-spirited an individualist as the innovators who created it.
Already well-respected for their line of Citation business jets, Cessna is about to increase its reputation for fine flying machines. The Mustang is a four-passenger VLJ with a cruising speed of 340 knots (almost 400 mph – 643 kph) and a ceiling of 41,000 feet (12.5 km). Both are achieved with the help of a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW615F engines, just like its major competitor the Eclipse 500.
The Mustang is targeted to sell for about $2.6 million, almost double the price of the Eclipse 500. Takeoff distance is also greater at 3,120 feet (951m) compared to the Eclipse’s just over 2,000 feet (622 m). But Cessna isn’t being wasteful. That difference is visible in the styling and comfort built around the passengers and crew.
Already FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) certified, with orders pouring in, Cessna is ready to take off. Production will be slower than the Eclipse, who expects to produce over 500 planes a year thanks to a new, robot-powered welding system. That also cuts the Eclipse manufacturing costs to 1/3 the industry average for basic assembly.
But despite some of the advantages of the Eclipse, Cessna has several things going for it. The company is an experienced airplane manufacturer and it has a reputation for producing excellent jets at reasonable cost. They plan to produce 50 jets in 2008 ramping up to 100 by 2009.
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Tags: cessna citation mustang aircraft, cessna mustang, cessna mustang aircraft sales, cessna mustang business jet, cessna mustang deliveries, cessna mustang images, cessna mustang landing gear, cessna mustang review, mustang cessna aircraft company, used cessna mustang
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Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Cessna Aircraft company began in 1927. After producing the first cantilever wing design, they went on to a steady stream of commercial success driven by innovation. That tradition continues up to the present day as a subsidiary of Textron, owners of Bell Helicopter.
Though the early years through the mid-1960s were driven largely by their small two-four seaters, they branched out to become one of the industry’s leading business jet manufacturers. Today, it isn’t just the little Piper Cub that is instantly recognizable at airports. The Citation business jet series is equally renowned by those who know, love or just use these outstanding aircraft.
Whether it’s the super-speedy Citation X, the luxurious Citation Sovereign, or any of the many other models, these bizjets are among the finest flying vessels in existence.
Not least of those outstanding models is the Citation Bravo 550B. With 11 seats, this small corporate jet can fly a full complement easily from New York to Chicago. At under 9,000 lbs (4,100 kg), this baby’s twin Pratt and Whitney engines just sip fuel as it flies along at 30,000 feet.
But the power and efficiency is matched by a luxurious interior. With taupe leather seats and stylish paneling, the Citation Bravo is not just a flying office. It’s a flying room in a first class cruise ship.
The Citation Sovereign is even more impressive. This mid-sized corporate jet sports an eight seat cabin, the largest in its class and offering 40% more internal volume than the already spacious Bombardier Learjet 60.
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Tags: aircraft, airports, Bell Helicopter, Biz Jets, business jet, Cessna Aircraft, Cessna Citation, Citation Bravo 550B, Citation business jet, first class cruise ship, flying office, flying vessels, luxurious Citation Sovereign, Piper Cub, small corporate jet, super-speedy Citation X, Textron
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Thursday, May 14th, 2009
The waning years of WWII saw the introduction of the first jet fighter planes. Though the popular image is that Germany was the first to develop them, British pioneer Frank Whittle had drawing board designs of a jet plane as early as the mid-1930s.
After the end of the war, commercial airlines quickly realized the value of these faster planes. Everyone wants to get where they want to go sooner. Less time in the air means less jet lag, less stress from engine and wind noise, and more time on the ground to take care of business. For upscale business travelers, those goals were first approached in the mid-1960s.
Alongside the development of large, commercial airlines’ use of jets – the famous Boeing 727 and its later cousins – there grew up a cottage industry of smaller jets designed primarily for ultra-rich customers.
Learjet, Lockheed JetStar and the Gulfstream II were the ultimate expressions of those design goals at the time. Selling for around $1 million (a hefty price tag forty years ago), these hand-built air limousines were heavily used by oil-rich sheiks and the J. Paul Getty’s of the day.
For the younger crowd, J. Paul Getty was one of the richest men in the world from the 1940s until his death in 1976. The Bill Gates of his day – only his money came from oil not computers – he was the first individual to crack the $1 billion mark.
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Tags: B757, bizjets, Boeing 727, Business Jets, business jets history, business jets timeline, business travelers, Cessna Citation X, commercial airlines, Express Aviation, first jet fighter planes, fractional ownership, Global Express, Gulfstream II, History of Business Jets, HondaJet, Learjet, Lockheed JetStar, smaller jets, Very Light Jet, VLJ
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Thursday, May 14th, 2009
The name Bombardier brings to mind images of WWII pilots dropping bombs on Europe. Nothing could be further from reality for this Canadian builder of business jets.
Though less well known than some other names, their jets are famed throughout the industry for speed, efficiency and style. The company purchased Learjet about 15 years ago, but even before and since they’ve continued to produce models independent of that line that are outstanding. Bill Gates and Steven Spielberg, among many other notables, own Bombardier business jets. These men are not known for spending money foolishly.
One of the most outstanding models in its current line up is the Global Express XRS. This ultra long-range business jet offers speed that shrinks global distances to local travel times. It offers comfort that makes you sorry the trip was so quick.
With a cabin width of over 8 feet (2.5 m) and a height of over 6 feet (2 m) it provides plenty of space for even larger passengers. The 48-foot/14.7-m length gives you ample room to take a stroll on those rare flights where you have time to spare. But the cruising speed of 0.80 Mach (850 kph/540 mph) means you won’t have too much time to be bored.
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Tags: Bombardier, Bombardier business jets, business jet, Business Jets, Challenger 300 carries, corporate jet, flights, Global Express XRS, larger passengers, Learjet, transcontinental flights
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Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
The name Boeing is, of course, well known to air travelers. Boeing and Airbus between them dominate commercial aircraft. Both have seen bad years. But, with the announcement of their revolutionary 787 Dreamliner made from lightweight composites that offer dramatically lower fuel consumption, Boeing is definitely on top. Airbus’ financial troubles haven’t hurt them either.
Nevertheless, making jets for average consumer flights isn’t the only thing Boeing does. They have a line of business jets that are equally well regarded. A 50-50 partnership between Boeing and General Electric ensures that these planes are the finest modern technology can produce.
Many of the older Boeing Business Jet models are converted 737 and 747 series airliners. Though older, with good refurbishing they offer an outstanding value for those looking for a larger jet. They seat between 25-50 passengers and those travelers are offered the best in business jet travel comfort and amenities.
While images of cramped bathrooms are natural to anyone who has flown in a commercial jet, that’s certainly not the case with Boeing business jets. Many have been converted to offer elegant washrooms complete with showers.
Sleeping quarters on a commercial jet typically consists of a tiny pillow stuffed behind your head and a thin, nylon blanket. Not so in one of these babies. They offer master bedrooms, special bunks and much more for the weary traveler making a long distance journey.
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Tags: 787 Dreamliner, air travelers, Airbus, airliners, Boeing, Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing Business Jet, business jet, Business Jets, commercial aircraft, commercial jet, consumer flights, larger jet, lower fuel consumption
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