Move comes as Dassault mulls smaller aircraft and Bombardier reinvents Continental and enhances Global Express
Gulfstream has unveiled an expanded and rebranded product line as competition between the large business jet manufacturers broadens and intensifies. The seven-aircraft range includes a new mid-size jet, the G150, as well as reduced-specification derivatives of the GIV-SP and GV-SP.
The move comes as Dassault reopens engineering and marketing studies of a smaller aircraft, similar in size to the Falcon 10/100 last built 14 years ago. Bombardier, meanwhile, has rebranded its super mid-size Continental as the Challenger 300, and will equip the ultra-long-range Global Express with an enhanced vision system (EVS).
"We have decided to compete in every market segment above $10 million," says Gulfstream president Bill Boisture. Each model is designed to a price/performance point: the 5,000km-range, $11.5 million mid-size G100; 5,000km, $12.5 million wide-cabin G150; 6,660km, $19.5 million super mid-size G200; 6,660km, $25.5 million large-cabin G300; 7,590km, $32.25 million G400 (formerly GIV-SP); 10,700km, $37.5 million long-range G500; and 12,500km, $45.75 million ultra-long-range G550 (formerly GV-SP).
GIV and GV production will move to the new versions by year-end, the G400 entering service in the second quarter and G550 in the third quarter of next year. The G300, a reduced-range GIV-SP, will enter service in the third quarter, competing against the Challenger 604 and Falcon 2000EX. The G500, a reduced-range GV-SP, will enter service in the first quarter of 2004, ahead of the rival Global 5000 and Falcon 7X. The G150 will enter service in the second quarter of 2005, replacing the G100 and competing with Cessna's Citation Sovereign.
The G400 and G550 will be sold as fully equipped and customisable aircraft, with five years' service and training included. The G300 and G500 will be sold as basic aircraft, with extra-cost option packages covering avionics upgrades, floorplans, cabin systems and paint schemes. Packaging allows Gulfstream to secure contributions to development costs from vendors, says Boisture.
Dassault has decided to "look again at the medium-large sector and a Falcon 10-size aircraft", says chairman Charles Edelstenne. The company is focused on the $20-40 million business-jet segment. "Our policy has been to address the high end. We need to make sure it is not a mistake," he says.
The first 30 firm orders for the long-range, high-speed Falcon 7X tri-jet are among more than 70 sales so far this year. The aircraft, scheduled to enter service in 2006, is sold out until the second quarter of 2008, says Dassault Falcon Jet president John Rosanvallon, revealing the company's next jet after the 7X will be twin-engined.
Deliveries will remain at 73-75 a year for 2003 and 2004, supported by Dassault's 150-aircraft backlog, over half of them Falcon 2000/2000EX large twinjets. The 2000EX is to be certificated by year-end, with deliveries beginning in the second quarter. Dassault's EASy integrated cockpit will enter service on the Falcon 900EX in the second quarter and a year later on the 2000EX, and the company plans a common pilot type rating for both aircraft and the 7X.
As well as rebranding the Continental and the corporate version of its CRJ200 regional jet, which becomes the Challenger 800, Bombardier has selected a Thales Avionics/CMC Electronics team to develop a "second-generation" EVS for the Global Express. Flight testing will begin in the first quarter, leading to the first certificated installations in the first quarter of 2005.
Source: Flight International
