On September 20 Raytheon Aircraft received Part 23 commuter category certification of a King Air 350, a milestone in the company’s plan eventually to offer a Model 350ER, a special-missions version of the twin turboprop. This new aircraft has been modified with a heavyweight landing gear, as well as several airframe mods, permitting it to operate at an mtow of 16,500 pounds, an increase of 1,500 pounds over a standard 350.
Business Aviation » Business Aviation Aircraft
News and issues relating to business, aircraft, primarily turbine-engine powered airplanes and helicopters.
October 18, 2006 - 10:09am
Business Jet Technologies last month announced FAA certification for the company’s reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM) compliance package for the Gulfstream II and IIB. The Dallas-based company said the upgrade requires only “simplified augmentation” of the airplane’s air-data computer and uses existing altimetry components, significantly reducing cost and downtime.
October 18, 2006 - 7:22am
Last month Embraer released more details about its very light jet and light jet programs. Besides announcing that it has selected BMW DesignWorksUSA to design the interior for the two twinjets, the Brazilian manufacturer released clearer development timelines for the two aircraft.
October 18, 2006 - 7:19am
Cessna received FAA type certification of its CJ2+ on October 3. Deliveries of the twinjet are scheduled to start in the second quarter of next year. Announced at the 2004 NBAA Convention, the CJ2+ is an upgraded CJ2 featuring FADEC-equipped Williams International FJ44-3A-24 turbofans and greater payload, higher maximum cruise speed, more range and better runway performance than its predecessor.
October 18, 2006 - 7:17am
Aviation Technology Group’s Javelin twinjet prototype completed its maiden flight from Denver Centennial Airport on September 30. At 7:50 a.m. MST, ATG operations v-p and chief test pilot Robert Fuschino lifted off from Runway 17L at Centennial and flew the very light jet prototype for 35 minutes.
October 18, 2006 - 5:30am
While Ibis Aerospace officials have been cheering publicly for months that the Ae270 Spirit turboprop single is nearing FAA and EASA approval, their mood behind closed doors was likely more muted. This is because the Ae270, until recently expected to be certified late this or early next year, is not meeting performance guarantees and won’t enter production in its current form, a U.S. spokesman told AIN last month.
October 17, 2006 - 10:27am
Gulfstream disagrees with the FAA about the regulatory requirements for a hydrophobic water-repellent coating system instead of windshield wipers for the new G150, which is scheduled to be certified next year. The FAA is requiring Gulfstream to meet “special conditions,” a common regulatory method the agency uses when it determines that a particular design feature is “novel or unusual” and not covered in current airworthiness requirements.
October 17, 2006 - 9:24am
Albuquerque, N.M.-based start-up manufacturer Eclipse Aviation said its six-month-old JetMatch program has “more than exceeded our expectations.” JetMatch “facilitates partnerships” in new Eclipse 500s via a password-protected message board on the company’s Web site. An Eclipse spokesman said the service has thus far resulted in two matches for the $1.295 million VLJ.
October 17, 2006 - 9:23am
The mockup Embraer used to design the interiors for its very light jet (VLJ) and light jet (LJ) revealed a lack of room for the passengers’ feet. (Embraer last month tapped BMW Group DesignworksUSA to design the jets’ interiors.) This has prompted a cabin cross-section change from a circular design to an egg-shaped one, resulting in an extra five inches of foot room without compromising any other cabin dimensions.
October 17, 2006 - 9:20am
Embraer reported it delivered eight Legacys in the first nine months of this year compared with five in the same period last year. The Brazilian manufacturer shipped 13 of the business jets last year and in 2003.
