Delivery of the first fully outfitted Fairchild Dornier Envoy 7 has slipped around 12 months. At the same time rival Embraer is holding off development of a longer range executive jet version of the ERJ-170 while it concentrates on the smaller Legacy aircraft.
Fairchild Dornier is now aiming to handover the first green aircraft to the newly appointed Lufthansa Technik completion centre in August 2003. The first completed Envoy 7, a variant of the 728JET, is due for delivery to Middle East-based Safadi by March 2004, according to Wilhelm Tomayer, Envoy 7 programme director. The Envoy 7's schedule has been affected by changes in design to the 728JET airliner, which is now due to enter service with Lufthansa CityLine in July 2003.
Fairchild has a second tentative agreement with Garrett Aviation Services to provide for completions in the USA. Flight Options, which has ordered 25 aircraft, has not yet selected a centre or firmed up delivery dates. It had been looking at late 2002, "but you would be right in saying it's slipped a year," says Ken Ricci, Flight Options chief executive.
The Envoy will be equipped with two forward and three aft auxiliary tanks supplying an additional 5,000kg (11,000lb) of fuel, an electric door and airstair. The maximum take-off weight has been increased to accommodate up to 4,600kg of interior fittings. Fairchild is studying fitting the aircraft with winglets to bolster its 7,400km (4,000nm) range.
Envoy 7 orders total 29 aircraft. Fairchild is planning to deliver up to eight jets in 2004, of which Flight Options has asked for six, increasing to 18 per year by 2006.
Embraer is holding off launching an executive jet version of the ERJ-170 to rival the Envoy 7, while it devotes resources to developing the new Legacy derivative of the ERJ-135. "It will be the first quarter of next year before we can take a long hard look at it, says Sam Hill, Embraer vice president corporate aircraft.
Its challenge is to produce an aircraft that offers a major hike in range without sacrificing speed. "We don't want to put a product out there that is mediocre and on which we can't enhance performance" says Hill.
Meanwhile, the company says it has secured an order for a further six Legacies to complement its recent launch deal with Swift Aviation for 25 jets. The first modified ERJ-135 is due to fly in the second quarter 2001 and be delivered the following September.
Source: Flight International
