Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 - (Page 68)

BUSINESS AVIATION FA R N B O R O U G H 2 0 0 8 Business Jets Thrive at Farnborough 2008 Despite many dedicated business aviation shows springing up around the world, Farnborough has managed to attract most of the big name players this year. This underlines the booming market in business aviation sales around the world, which is second only to the sales of airliners to low-cost carriers. Show organizers have tried to group business jets and turboprops more or less together, but Ian Kirby, who is in charge of the static aircraft park, says the layout is more or less the same as in 2006. Most of the business aircraft will be parked west of the main U.S. military aircraft compound which is roughly at show center. As they did last time, some companies have opted for a site at the far east side of the airfield. There, Cessna and Bell have their own display compounds and pavilions with more space and so more aircraft this year. At the far west of the static line you’ll find the majority of the business aircraft. There is an Embraer Legacy 600, the only Embraer aircraft here this time, with a Gulfstream 550 nearby, and a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, complete with a VIP interior. A Dornier 328300JET 14-seat VIP equipped version is here, next to Hawker Beechcraft which has seven aircraft on display, ranging from a Beech Baron, three King Air variants, a Premier 1A and a Hawker 900XP. Next in line, Dassault is showing its wingleted Falcon 2000LX and ultra long range Falcon 7X. In a new departure the Business Aviation Park corporate hospitality and Hawker Beechcraft and Dassault chalets overlook this line. Moving along toward show center, we see the Grob G180 SPn all-composite business jet, which should be certificated late this year or in early 2009, here for the first time. Next, a Socata TBM 850 turboprop business aircraft represents an alternative to the Very Light Jets which are now appearing in numbers around the world. The Bombardier exhibit, which includes business jets and regional airliners, carries the line with a Learjet 40XR, Learjet 60XR, Challenger 605 and the very longrange Global Express XRS. At show center is the Swearingen SJ-30 business jet, which is certified but with only two production models produced so far. Dubai’s Emirates Investment Development Company (EIDC) rescued the troubled U.S. company in May when it took a majority shareholding. Close by is the first Farnborough appearance of Switzerland’s Pilatus PC-12NG (New Generation) single engined business turboprop. If we move past the huge Airbus A380, the major aircraft pavilion and compound of Italy’s Finmeccanica comes into view. Helicopter-maker AgustaWestland is part of this empire and is displaying 11 helicopters, some of which are fitted out as VIP aircraft. Next door, Bell Agusta is displaying the BA609 tilt rotor business test aircraft, while Bell Helicopter has a very comfortable Bell 429 on display. Finally, we reach Cessna’s ramp area at the east end with another nine G/A and business jets, ranging from the Citation Mustang (making its Farnborough Show debut) to the very fast Citation X corporate jet. —Mike Vines Embraer’s widebody Legacy 600 arrives at the show. The Pilatus PC-12NG was certified earlier this year. The Dornier 328JET is here with a14-seat VIP interior. Dassault Falcon’s new flagship jet, the 7X; a 2000LX can be seen at right. Bombardier is showing its Challenger 605 (there’s a Global 5000 behind it). 68 July 14, 2008 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 Contents Thirty More Years CFM Reveals New Engine Boeing Reduces Forecast UAVs’ Quiet Revolution Finmeccanica: U.S. Success A Plethora of AESAs BAE North America Plus L-3 Becomes a Prime Better Late Than Never A Peek Behind the Curtain China’s J-10 Revealed Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner Breaking LM’s Hegemony

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

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