Cessna and Raytheon among manufacturers announcing aircraft at NBAA this week
New Citation derivatives of Cessna and Hawker models from Raytheon, as well as all-new aircraft from start-ups HondaJet and Spectrum, are being announced this week at the National Business Aircraft Association convention in Orlando, Florida. All-new and derivative aircraft from Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault and Gulfstream are also waiting in the wings as the industry boom continues.
In addition to the CJ4 light jet already announced, Cessna is unveiling the Citation XLS+, an upgrade of its popular super-light jet with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics, digital engine controls, reprofiled nose and new interior. Replacing the Citation Bravo in Cessna's line-up, the CJ4 is a stretched derivative of the CJ3 with modestly swept wing, uprated Williams FJ44-4A engines and expanded Pro Line 21 avionics. The CJ4 has greater speed, altitude and range performance than the Bravo.
Raytheon Aircraft is launching two derivatives of its Hawker 850XP mid-size jet. The 900XP has 460km (250nm) more range, giving it true US coast-to-coast capability, and more powerful Honeywell TFE731-50 engines while the "descoped" 750 has reduced fuel and range and is aimed at the European market. Both are externally identical to the 850XP except that the 750 lacks winglets. Deliveries of the $14 million 900XP and $12 million 750 will begin in the second half of 2007.
New entrant Spectrum Aeronautical, which lost its proof-of-concept Spectrum 33 light jet in a fatal crash in July, is announcing plans to develop the Spectrum 40 Independence, a larger, nine-passenger jet with stand-up cabin. Powered by GE Honda HF120 turbofans, the $6.2 million Independence is scheduled for certification in 2010, and will be offered alongside the $3.65 million Williams FJ33-powered Spectrum 33 Freedom. Both will use Spectrum's proprietry all-composite airframe technology.
Cessna, meanwhile, is also displaying a mock-up of a widebody cabin concept, for an aircraft which would enter service in 2013 if launched by the end of this year. The company is studying a range of options for a 7,400km-range aircraft that would be a step up from its mid-size Sovereign and high-speed Citation X.
Informally dubbed the "Fat 10", the widebody concept is expected to form the basis of successors to both the Mach 0.92 Citation X and the slower Sovereign. The high transonic version is likely to retain the highly swept wing and T-tail of the Citation X. At 2.2m (7.2ft), the fuselage is 0.45m wider than on current models.
Cessna president and chief executive Jack Pelton said in November that a larger Citation X was a company priorities. "One of the dilemmas we have is that if you want to move up from a Citation X or Sovereign, we don't have anything to offer. We want to make sure we're a player in all categories."
A wider fuselage means engines more powerful than the Citation X's 6,700lb-thrust (30kN) Rolls-Royce AE3007C1s will be required. Cessna is looking for more than 8,500lb thrust, with at least 10,000lb needed for a high-transonic cruise. Engines in this thrust range expected to be available for a 2013 entry into service include the Honeywell HFT10000 and Snecma/Avio SM-X, while Rolls-Royce is thought to be proposing a new two-spool engine based on the RB282 concept study.
All three engines are also expected to be in the running for Dassault's 'SMS' (super mid-sized) project. The SMS is planned as a long-range twin powered by 10,000lb-thrust engines.
Source: Flight International
