DIAMOND FLIES
Diamond Aircraft flew its D-Jet personal jet for the first time on 5 October with the new Williams International FJ33-5A engine. This replaces the FJ33-15 as the production powerplant on the four-seat aircraft. D-Jet serial number 003 made its 1h 40min maiden flight at Diamond's London, Ontario facility and met "all intended test points", says the company. The D-Jet is scheduled for certification in the second quarter of next year.
HAWKER ORDER
Hawker Beechcraft's Brazilian dealer and service centre Líder Signatures has ordered 23 aircraft spanning the airframer's production line. The deal consists of three Hawker 4000s, two 900XPs, three 750s, five 450XPs, one Beechcraft King Air B200GT, four King Air C90GTis, two Baron G58s and three Bonanza G36s. The airframer has also sold 10 400XPs to Indian Investment conglomerate Isis Group. The light business jets will be operated by Isis Bangalore-based charter subsidiary Aviators India, which will take delivery of five aircraft in 2009 and the remainder the following year.
PRICE HIKE
Embraer has increased the price tag of its Phenom 300 business jet by 3%. From 1 November the light-cabin aircraft, which is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2009, will be sold for $6.85 million. Meanwhile, the Brazilian airframer has sold two Phenom 300s, one mid-size Legacy 500, and a super-midsize Legacy 600 to German charter operator Vibroair.
ROTOR DEAL
AgustaWestland has sold 10 AW139 medium-twin helicopters to Canadian charity Ornge. The aircraft will be used for emergency medical service operations within Ontario. AgustaWestland has also clinched an order from Chevron for two AW139s to be used for offshore transport.
GROB REJECTED
Bombardier Aerospace chief executive Guy Hachey has revealed that the Canadian company considered buying Grob Aerospace after it went into insolvency in August. "We did look at all options, but we decided that it would have been very complex and we did not want to jeopardise the [Learjet 85] programme." Bombardier had contracted the German airframer to design and build the first prototypes of Bombardier's new all-composite jet before taking the programme in-house last month. Hachey added that Bombardier also dismissed the idea of acquiring Grob's own SPn light jet programme as "entering a new segment was not on the cards".
PIAGGIO IN UK
Piaggio has appointed Harrods Aviation as its exclusive P180 Avanti dealer for the UK and Ireland.
Source: Flight International
