SHOW REPORT EBACE 2014 Key Launches Enthused by market sentiments, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) chose EBACE to launch their new products/projects. Swiss company Pilatus which had unveiled the PC-24 at last year’s show, this year opened the show with booking 75 aircraft as the company plans for an official rollout of the aircraft on August 1. And by the end of the show it had notched up another nine sales, taking the production slots through 2019. Dassault Unveils Falcon 8X Dassault Aviation unveiled its top-of-the-range Falcon 8X, a lengthened and longer-range derivative of its Falcon 7X, as well as showing off a cabin of the eagerly awaited super-midsize Falcon 5X. The Falcon 8X will offer a range of 6,450 nm and will feature the longest cabin of any Falcon. Moreover, it will offer the same low operating economics and the remarkable operating flexibility for which all Falcons are known, Dassault announced. “The Falcon 8X will be our new flagship and a great complement to our product line,” announced Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO, Eric Trappier. “It builds on Dassault expertise in aerodynamics, in precision design and manufacturing and in advanced digital flight controls. It embodies the best of Falcons that have come before with the most capability of any Falcon ever.”“With two new aircraft, the 5X and 8X under development, Dassault will now be able to offer a family of six jets designed to meet the widest possible range of operator needs at the upper end of the business jet spectrum,” added Trappier. With eight passengers and three crew, the Falcon 8X will be capable of flying 6,450 nm non-stop at Mach 0.8. It will be powered by an improved version of the Pratt and Whitney Canada PW307 engine that equips the Falcon 7X. Combined with improvements to wing design, the new power plant will make the 8X up to 35 per cent more fuel efficient than any other aircraft in the ultra long-range segment, providing corresponding savings in operating costs. The Falcon 8X will be equipped with a totally redesigned cockpit modelled after the Falcon 5X. It will feature a new generation of the EASy flight deck equipped with a head-up display that combines synthetic and enhanced vision and offer a dual HUD capability. First flight is expected early 2015 with certification in the middle of 2016 and initial deliveries before the end of 2016. “The Falcon 8X will be the longest cabin of any Falcon. But, more importantly, it will feature the highest level of customisation of any large cabin business jet on the market,” said Trappier. Like the Falcon 7X, the Falcon 8X will be capable of approaches up to six degrees, allowing it to serve challenging airports such as London City Airport; Aspen, Colorado; La Mole (Saint-Tropez), France and Saanen (Gstaad), Switzerland that are normally not accessible to most large cabin aircraft.
inauguration of ebace: From right to left, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen; AndrÈ Kudelski, chairman and CEO, Kudelski Group; Frank Brenner, Eurocontrol; AndrÈ Kudelski, vice chairman of Geneva International Airport; Roland Werner, state secretary of transport, Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport and EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba.
www.sps-aviation.com
Bombardier’s Global 7000 Mock-up Stealing the show too was Bombardier’s mock-up of the ultra longrange Global 7000 fuselage. Bombardier claimed it to be the largest business jet mock-up ever made, with a length of 111 feet. Global 7000 is scheduled for entry into service in 2016. The impressive full-size mock-up showcases the aircraft’s unparalleled spaciousness, luxury and comfort. With its four distinct living spaces, including a private stateroom, the Global 7000 business jet will allow passengers to work, eat, sleep and relax in a comfortable environment. This aircraft also features the largest total window area, allowing for more natural light inside the cabin and state-of-the-art Bombardier Visionflight deck.
ISSUE 6 • 2014
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