B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 1 - (Page 56) NEW AIRCRAFT N BA A 2007 continued from page 54 Embraer Phenom 300 Honda Honda-Jet is, typically, configured for six, including four, a refreshment center, lavatory and baggage space grouped in the 4 foot, 11-inch-high cabin. Power comes from a pair of 1,615-pound-thrust PW617s, and it will transport a reduced complement of four people (total 800 pounds) over 1,160 nmi NBAA range (1,320 nmi VFR). Highest cruising speed is 380 kts at altitudes up to 41,000 feet. Competitors include the Eclipse 500, Adam 700, Mustang and CJ1. Verdict: Getting there to a 3,000-foot, semi-prepared strip that the reinforced landing gear can take in its stride. Cabin height is 5 feet, 5 inches. Of late, however, Grob has been backpedaling both ruggedness and the previous epithet “Utility Jet” in favor of a more suit-and-tie image. The prototype flew on July 20, 2005, and was joined by a second in September 2006. Loss of the second machine while flying outside the cleared envelope has delayed the program, although range of 1,800 nmi—1,685 with nine souls aboard. Verdict: Getting there Honda HondaJet Three years after the HA-420’s maiden flight, Honda finally admitted that this is not a pure research program. On the airplane’s second appearance at Oshkosh, in July 2006, Honda announced plans to enter the VLJ market, and at last year’s NBAA Convention it began accepting U.S. orders. Simultaneously, the company revealed plans to collaborate on sales and service with Piper Aircraft and to explore opportunities in engineering and other areas within general and business aviation. Honda Aircraft broke ground for its new 369,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility at Piedmont Triad International Airport, in Greensboro, North Carolina, on June 27. Deliveries of the aircraft are due to customers starting in 2010 at $3.65 million per go. The U.S. company will hold FAA type and production certification and its products will have 90% of their parts made in North America. That includes fuselages by GKN Aerospace in Alabama, wings by Avcorp Industries, and avionics by Garmin International. A clean-sheet design, the HondaJet has a high proportion of composites in the fuselage, but it has aluminum wing and empennage. Wing and nose profiles are optimised for laminar flow, while mounting of the 2,050-pounds-thrust GE Honda HF120 turbofan engines on overwing pylons simplifies fuselage structure and aerodynamics. Accommodation is for seven, or two crew plus six passengers as an air taxi. Honda gives a max cruising speed of 420 kts and an IFR range of 1,180 nmi, plus reserves at unspecified speed. VFR range with the 644 pound payload possible with continued on page 58 Embraer Phenom 300 The larger of the pair of jets now under development by Embraer, the Phenom 300 has swept wings with winglets, two 3,200-pound-thrust PW353E turbofans at the rear and room aboard for nine, of which six (1,200 pounds) can be carried over 1,800 nmi NBAA IFR range. Maximum speed and height of the $6.65 million airplane are 450 kts and 45,000 feet; economic cruise speed is Grob G-180 SPn yet to be determined. Embraer announced a 14-inch fuselage stretch this year, increasing capacity to nine, including the No. 03 should have flown by now, to be followed two up front. While cabin height remains as for rapidly by 04 with production interior and Honthe Phenom 100, it is now longer than the CJ2, eywell Apex flight deck. No. 05, which will be the CJ3, Premier 1 and Beech 400. T fly in mid-2008, first for a customer, is due in the air by Decemo having had its first metal cut last April, the ber. Officially, Grob is still looking for an April Phenom 300 will see certification and first deliv- 2008 European certification, with the FAA following a couple of months later, but that appears eries in mid-2009. likely to slip a little. Verdict: Very likely The company estimates it will sell 400 of the Grob G-180 SPn $5.8 million ($7.9 million now) carbon fiber airWith a designation indicating exponential possi- planes over the next 10 years and is planning a longbilities to the nth degree, the SPn is aimed at the winged, stretched-fuselage derivative for market now dominated by the turboprop high-altitude surveillance and communications Beechcraft King Air. Accordingly, while it can carry relay. Power comes from two rear-mounted, 2,800nine people, including single pilot, the seats and pounds-thrust Williams FJ44-3As, enabling the lavatory can be stripped out in an hour and gen- SPn to cruise at a maximum 402 kts at 41,000 feet, eral cargo loaded through the wide door and flown or transport pilot and six passengers over an NBAA 56 September 25, 2007 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews
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