Fairchild Aerospace is considering a stretch of the 928JET as its next addition to the 728JET family, rather than a smaller 55-65-seat version. It won about one-third of new regional-jet business last year, putting the company on a par with rivals Bombardier and Embraer.
The proposed 1128JET would extend the size of the aircraft series beyond the 928JET's planned 105-seat limit. While no details have been released, it is thought the aircraft would serve as a counter to Bombardier's yet-to-be launched 108-115-seat BRJ-X-110.
"With our new capitalisation, we have sufficient funds to develop a major new derivative family member during the time window following the 928, and we are flexible within a wide band of size and range capabilities," says Fairchild.
The company had planned to follow the stretch 928JET with the smaller 528JET at about an 18-month interval. The baseline 70-85-seat 728JET is to enter service with launch customer Lufthansa in May 2002, while the 928JET is targeted for certification in late 2003.
Company sources acknowledge that a further stretch of the 728JET would be technically less challenging in terms of operating efficiencies than a shrink. The 1128JET would be likely to use the 928JET's planned 9m² (102ft²) larger wing and new General Electric CF34-10D growth engine.
Last year the US-German manufacturer received $1.2 billion of new capital and debt financing from new owners Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Allianz Capital.
Major orders from Lufthansa for sixty 728JETs and Atlantic Coast Airlines for eighty 328/428JETs helped the company to take one-third of the 560 regional-jet orders placed last year, including Envoy corporate sales.
It still lags behind Bombardier and Embraer in order backlog, however. A rapid boost in output by Embraer has pushed it ahead of rival Bombardier in deliveries, and the two are closely matched for orders and backlog.
Source: Flight International
