{:en}<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The business jet market is becoming more dynamic and diversified, and more and more dramatic over the past few months.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The business jet market is becoming more dynamic and diversified, and over the past few months, more and more dramatic According to statistics, light jets account for the largest share of the 15,000 business aircraft flying around the world. Until recently, according to forecasts of the international manufacturing corporation Honeywel, it was expected that out of 12,000 aircraft that will be delivered to the aviation market by 2016, 3,250 will belong to this particular class of aircraft. Today, similar business jet market prospects look less realistic than they did yesterday. And the least predictable is the future of very light jet business jets – Very Light Jets.<\/p>\n
The growing popularity of light business jet aircraft over the past and present decades can be attributed to their relatively low cost compared to their “big relatives”, the ability to be based on small airfields and greater efficiency. This made the manufacturers think about the need to create even simpler and less expensive jet aircraft, designed for a small number of passengers, but superior in their technical characteristics to turboprop counterparts. This is how the idea of creating the VLJ was born as the main element of the next revolutionary concept of a new transport system.<\/p>\n
Given the dynamic growth of the VLJ order book, the US National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has clearly defined a new class of aircraft. Today, Very Light Jet is understood as an aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of less than 4.5 tons, equipped with one or two jet engines with a thrust of up to 900 kg, capable of taking off and landing on a runway 1 km long, and flying at a maximum altitude of 12.5 km. In addition, he must be certified to operate one pilot, which is also an important circumstance for the implementation of a new transport concept. Special requirements are imposed on the aircraft equipment: it must be equipped with satellite navigation, automated control and global positioning systems with an electronic terrain map. In addition, a special on-board flight and navigation complex is installed on the VLJ, which memorizes the flight route and in a critical situation allows the aircraft to be put on a return course. Various types of such machines have costs ranging from US $ 1 million to US $ 5 million and more.<\/p>\n
A bit of history<\/b><\/p>\n
The pioneer in the creation of the VLJ can be considered the Cessna company, which in 1968 announced the development of the Model 500 Citation (FanJet 500) aircraft, which was unusually small for a jet jet.<\/p>\n
The Citation, which flew in 1969, was a 6-7-seater aircraft powered by two P&WC JT15D turbofan engines and had a maximum take-off weight of 4309 kg. Four years later, Cessna announced the creation of an improved Citation I (Model 501) with a maximum take-off weight of 5375 kg.<\/p>\n
In its original form, the Citation was in production until 1985. During this time, 691 orders were completed. But Cessna finally entered the business jet market when it announced the creation of the CitationJet (Model 525). The CitationJet's maximum take-off weight was 4,717 kN, lighter than the 501. The aircraft was powered by two Williams \/ Rolls-Royce FJ44 turbofan engines with a total thrust of 8.45 kN. The first CitationJet, certified as a single-pilot aircraft, took off in April 1992, and the first orders were received in March 1993. Later, the improved CitationJet 1 (CJ1) and CJ1 +, CJ2 and CJ3 models followed.<\/p>\n
From the recent past … Manufacturers' optimism<\/b><\/p>\n
The first modern very light (ultralight) jet aircraft was the Eclipse 500, the concept of which was developed back in 1997 by the American businessman, engineer and innovator Vern Raburn. It was assumed that the power plant of this aircraft will use a promising light turbojet engine, which was developed by NASA specialists under the GAP program (engine for GA aircraft). The idea of Raburn was liked by the management of Williams International Corporation, which, together with NASA, participated in the creation of a new engine. In May 1998, Verne established Eclipse Aviation in New Mexico to design the Eclipse 500. At the same time, a contract was signed with Williams International, which was to develop and certify the Williams \/ NASA 317 DaN engine for the new jet.<\/p>\n
Note that the development of a promising engine became a powerful impetus for the development of the Eclipse 500 project. Moreover, within the framework of the state research program.<\/p>\n
The project was launched in June 1999, the next year 140 engineers worked for the company, by the end of 2001 the project had spent 125 million US dollars, and the prototype taxied to the runway only in July 2002. all-metal, its dimensions were slightly larger than the dimensions of typical twin-engine aircraft such as the Beech Baron and Cessna 310. The calculated maximum take-off weight of 2132 kg was 363 kg less than actually obtained.<\/p>\n
Over time, on August 26, 2002 – ahead of the planned date for 2003, the prototype made its first flight, which aroused great interest. 1,357 firms placed orders for the aircraft, the initial cost of which was announced at $ 837,500. The plane took off for its maiden flight with a Williams EJ22 engine. Unfortunately, it was not very reliable, had insufficient traction and did not meet some of the other specified requirements. And precisely because of the power plant, the aircraft turned out to be 227 kg heavier than expected. In addition, the engine had practically no potential for development.<\/p>\n
As a result, Eclipse Aviation announced that it is looking for alternative propulsion systems. The replacement was a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan engine with two circuits and 4 kN thrust. Greater weight, greater engine power and, as a result, the need for more fuel led to certain changes in the design – small end tanks were added, which could not but affect the price of the aircraft. Already in 2005 it grew first to one, then to 1.3 million US dollars. The maximum weight, reaching 2558 kg, increased the original estimate by 19%.<\/p>\n
However, the promising engine was not the only innovation in the Eclipse 500 project. When assembling the airframe units, it was planned to widely use another new development – friction welding, proposed by the TWI Welding Institute (Great Britain). This technology has already been mastered in rocketry and has been used in the manufacture of Boeing's Delta missiles, as well as in the manufacture of external fuel tanks Sace Shuttle. The homogeneous, high-quality weld with uniform characteristics along the entire length, which this technology provided, allowed to reduce the mass of the structure by eliminating the rivets, improve the quality of the outer surface, increase the airframe life, automate the process and reduce the cost of the structure. However, the introduction of the new technology required the creation of special equipment. There is no information on delays in the implementation of the project due to the use of new technologies. But the cost of developing an aircraft, which required the cost of creating new equipment, could not help but increase.<\/p>\n
Another innovation of the project was the use of advanced avionics from Avidyne and BAE Systems Aircraft. All Eclipse 500 onboard systems are combined into a single integrated complex, the development of which was very interesting and profitable for the mentioned companies.<\/p>\n
However, the use of new engines, aircraft technology, avionics in the VLJ project were important, but not key components of the advanced concept. The fact is that Eclipse Aviation worked with NASA not only on the program to create a promising aircraft engine, but also actively joined the SATS (Small Aircraft Transport System) program, the purpose of which was to improve the US aviation transport system. Its authors in the last decade concluded that the air transportation system in this country was focused on 22 airports, while about 600 airfields (and in the future – 1000) maintained regular flights with a much lower intensity. The improvement of the transport system, aimed at bringing the passenger closer to the purpose of the trip, consisted in the maximum load of such airports, due to which it was supposed to reduce travel time by half in 10 years, and in 25 years – by three quarters. One of the main elements of the new transport system was to be the Eclipse 500, which is designed to deliver air taxi passengers with a high level of comfort and safety and relatively low prices. In addition to NASA, the FAA aviation administration and representatives of big business took part in that program.<\/p>\n
Thus, the Eclipse 500 project was based on at least four new components: a promising engine, promising technologies, promising avionics and a promising application concept. Let us recall the prophetic words of Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev that if more than three innovations are used in the aircraft design, this project is doomed …<\/p>\n
The first Eclipse 500 was purchased in the United States only on the eve of 2007, that is, much later than the original plans. In August of the same year, another VLJ was sold from eBay for $ 1,833,945 (more than double the price in the business plan). All in all, orders were received for the manufacture of an unprecedented number of ultralight jets – about 2,600 Eclipse 500. This was facilitated by aggressive marketing. For the best presentation of their products, the entire spectrum of information technologies was used – from advertising campaigns to participation in an air show with a demonstration of the layout, and then the aircraft itself. The company's website published monthly reports of its president on the progress of the project, at the forum visitors could ask questions to any Eclipse Aviation leader, and a Customers-only page was created. In order to understand how we managed to convince such a number of customers to purchase an aircraft, to make advances for its production, we must remember that in the USA, in addition to 600 small airfields, there are more than half a million private pilots, most of whom were intrigued by the project. They were prompted to buy an aircraft by the desire to fly at high altitudes with “jet” speeds and costs close to turboprop aircraft.<\/p>\n
“We are fully confident in the characteristics announced today, the company is ready to reimburse customers for part of the cost of the aircraft if at least one of the characteristics is lower than the declared one,” said Verne Raburn at the beginning of the project. It all ended with the fact that in January of this year, the Delaware bankruptcy court approved the acquisition of the assets of the insolvent aircraft manufacturer Eclipse Aviation by EclipseJet Aviation, a subsidiary of ETIRC Aviation, owned by the current CEO of Eclipse Aviation Ruel Piper, the largest shareholder of the bankrupt company. Pieper paid $ 188 million for the company, whose debt was estimated at close to $ 1 billion. That is, in essence, having bought out Eclipse Aviation from himself, Pieper paid only 20 cents for each dollar. Apparently, most lenders, the overwhelming majority of whom are customers of the Eclipse 500 aircraft, must accept the loss of money invested in this project. Since the US authorities do not see this as a crime, we will assume that the reason for this result was not a malicious intent to create an aviation financial pyramid, but miscalculations in the concept and implementation of the project. But the story of Eclipse Aviation is very reminiscent of the unforgettable tale of the MMM pyramid.<\/p>\n
So, the Eclipse 500 was to become the backbone of the VLJ fleet used as air taxis and private jets in the US transportation system. The main production was originally planned at the Albuquerque plant. In the process of restructuring, Eclipse has reduced the rate of production – from one aircraft per day to 4-5 per month. UBS Investment Bank, commissioned by the company, sought additional private capital to refinance overdue Eclipse accounts and expand production. Back in the summer of 2008, Eclipse Aviation was looking for 200-250 million dollars to complete a deal to deploy the production of ultra-light jet aircraft Eclipse 500 in Ulyanovsk. The terms of the deal, into which the Russian government had already invested $ 205 million by that time, provided for the prepayment of royalties to the American manufacturer, which was supposed to help it return to the level of profitability. The measures taken turned out to be ineffective. The company announced its financial insolvency back in November last year. But the program for the release of the Eclipse 500 at the plant in Ulyanovsk is not closed. In Russia, these aircraft cannot be a mass product, not only because they turned out to be more expensive than planned. A large number of Eclipse 500 in the CIS in the coming years will not be required, because there is not much: a sufficient number of customers who are ready to confirm high purchasing power; the required number of pilots, since people of this profession are in short supply in the CIS today; a sufficient network of airports equipped with suitable landing strips and provided with ground services. And most importantly, there is no system for the use of airspace that is friendly to these aircraft.<\/p>\n
Characteristics of major ultralight business jets<\/b><\/p>\n
Aircraft type Design Number of crew members
and passengers speed (km \/ h) Range (km) Ceiling (m) Price, $ mln Eclipse 500 – Eclipse Aviation Aluminum alloys 76852048124972.15 Eclipse 400 – Eclipse Aviation Carbon fiber 41.35 A700 – AAI Acuisition, Inc. Carbon fiber 76302037124972.5-2.9 SPn – Grob Aerospace CFRP6-97453334124977,15 SmartJet – Maverick Jets Composites \/ Aluminum alloys5537230067000.9 SoloJet – Maverick JetsComposites \/ aluminum alloys5650220095001.25 D-Jet – Diamond Aircraft Carbon fiber Alloys 77782594130003.65 The-Jet – Cirrus Design Carbon Fiber 55557600 Independence – Spectrum Carbon Fiber 6-97603700 137 153.65 Elite – Epic Aircraft Carbon Fiber 6-8760305012500 Sport-Jet – Excel-Jet Composites \/ Aluminum alloys 4-569518527600 1.0 Stratos Aircraft -714 Composites \/ alumin. Alloys 4766295012500 Victory – Epic Aircraft CFRP4-5592220085001.0 Javelin – Aviation Tech Group CFRP29251850137151.5<\/p>\n
Consequently, with the successful development of production, business jets from Russia will be exported, which, in general, is also not bad. Until recently, such plans were quite reasonable. In Europe, according to Price Water Hous Coopers (PWC), the contribution of business aviation to the overall economy of the European Union, Norway and Switzerland in 2007 amounted to about 20 billion euros. The largest part of this amount (\u20ac 12.6 billion) went to the economies of Germany, France and Great Britain. Two years ago, the industry employed about 164 thousand people, whose total earnings were approaching 6 billion euros. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the Eclipse Aviation banner was picked up by the Luxembourg-based company ETIRC Aviation, a member of the Dutch venture capital fund ETIRC BV (European Technology and Investment Research Center).<\/p>\n
However, today the situation is changing dramatically. For example, in the United States in December last year, the number of flights of large business jets decreased by 26% compared to the same period in 2007, but this sector of the economy is less affected by the crisis, in contrast to the VLJ segment, whose owners' income has dropped sharply. For example, in the UK, the number of business jets offered for sale on the secondary market has tripled over the past four months. This means that the need for new aircraft has dropped significantly. As a result, virtually all manufacturing companies today are announcing cutbacks in production, sales and layoffs.<\/p>\n
But the concept of an ultralight business jet proved contagious and spurred a rapid increase in the number of firms developing the vogue VLJs. It seemed that at the beginning of the 21st century, only the lazy did not work on their projects. In such a profitable market, by the standards of recent years, both world-famous companies and newcomers are trying to gain a foothold.<\/p>\n
More than 20 companies currently work in this segment. The main ones among them are AAI Acquisition, Cessna Aircraft, Cirrus Design, Diamond Aircraft, Eclipse Aviation, Embraer, Epic Aircraft, Hawker-Beechcraft, Grob Aerospace, Honda, Maverick Jets, Piper Aircraft. Four of them – Adam Aircraft, Eclipse Aviation, Maverick Jets and Grob Aerospace – have gone bankrupt! For many, VLJ projects cannot be called successful – only Cessna, Maverick Jets, Hawker-Beechcraft, Eclipse and Embraer have gone beyond promises and flying prototypes.<\/p>\n
The most successful in this market segment was Cessna. The basis of its line of ultralight jets is the Citation Jet. All subsequent models (CJ1 +, CJ2 + and CJ3) are modifications of the very first CitationJet, the appearance of which the company owes to the development of the new Williams-Rolls FJ44 engine, capable of developing relatively high thrust in its compact size. All three aircraft are equipped with Collins' advanced Pro Line 21 avionics. CJ1 can cover 2,400 km without refueling, CJ2 – 3,000 km, and CJ3 – 3470 km. At the same time, these aircraft are capable of developing high speeds: 711, 765 and 815 km \/ h, respectively. Prices range from $ 4.2 million for the Citation CJ1 + to $ 5.7 million for the CJ2 + and $ 6.7 million for the CJ3, which is several times higher than the Eclipse 500. Another Cessna's development – the Mustang is a six-seater aircraft with a length of just over 12 meters with a maximum range of 2,161 km, powered by Pratt & Whitney engines and a FADEC digital control system.<\/p>\n
One of the competitors in the VLJ market for Cessna aircraft is Embraer's developments. The Phenom 300 is Embraer's first light business jet. The design of this model was created simultaneously with the development of the ultralight business jet Phenom 100. The Phenom 300 was first presented at the Paris Air Show in 2005. It was then that the successful combination of its flight performance and size attracted many potential buyers. Among the advantages of this aircraft are high cruising speed (935 km \/ h), maximum flight range (3333 km) and a fairly spacious cabin. The aircraft costs less than $ 7 million.<\/p>\n
The Phenom 300 is powered by PW535 \/ 4 turbofan engines and Garmin avionics, the fully integrated G1000 system. The first machines have already been delivered to customers. Despite the fears of some analysts that the demand for aircraft of the Phenom family will decline, there are still airlines that are building their development strategy based on these aircraft. Thus, the European JetBirds will receive the first of 100 Phenom 100 aircraft ordered for the coming years in April, and it will start flying in July. A total of 15 aircraft of this type are expected to be purchased by the company this year, 25 aircraft will enter service next year, and by 2013 20 jets will join the JetBirds fleet. That is, in five years, only one European company will buy 50 Phenom 100.<\/p>\n
The Premier IA, developed by Hawker Beechcraft, sits on the edge of the ultralight and light jet classes and features a unique airframe design consisting of metal wing consoles and a composite fuselage. The Premier IA weighs 1.8 tons less than the Hawker 400XP, but its cabin is 30 cm taller and wider. With a relatively short cockpit length (4.1 m), the aircraft has a spacious and comfortable cabin. Two FJ44-2A engines provide a cruising speed of up to 841.5 km \/ h with a flight range of 2550 km. Its cost is about 6 million dollars.<\/p>\n
In many ways, the creation of the VLJ resembles a competition between innovative technologies and diverse concepts. Despite the fact that the aircraft are in the same market segment, the manufacturers themselves declare different areas of their use. The Maverick Jets company took a different path. While many designers simply reduce the size of the established scheme for administrative jets, the creators of the Maverick Leader aircraft changed the principle of the layout of the passenger compartment and the fuselage as a whole. If you arrange the seats, as in a limousine, eliminating the passage between them and practically “squeezing” the fuselage along the seat blocks, changing from a round to a fuselage shape close to rectangular in cross-section, it is possible to significantly reduce the midsection area and the resistance of the fuselage. Getting rid of the excess volume of the aircraft makes it possible to lighten the aircraft, increase its flight characteristics and reduce the cost. This is exactly the approach that was implemented when creating the Maverick Leader. This aircraft, formerly called the Twinjet 1500, entered flight tests in August 1999. Unlike competitors, Maverick Jets did not intend to receive the FAR-23 type certificate for its aircraft (which other competitors are striving for), considering this process a waste of time and money. The creators deliberately went to the inability to use their aircraft for commercial purposes. FAR-21.191 certification puts the Maverick Leader in the class of experimental aircraft for personal or corporate use. Although the Maverick Leader is the smallest among the machines in this class, its price points to the upper limit of $ 2 million. One more feature of the program of this aircraft should be noted – those wishing to purchase Maverick Leader were offered as a kit for self-assembly!<\/p>\n
The Javelin Executive Jet can be considered one of the most interesting designs. Aviation Technology Group's chairman and founder, George Bye, had an ardent desire to bring the style and characteristics of military technology to general aviation. ATG was incorporated in June 2000 as a new aviation technology company and the design, development and production of the Javelin Executive Jet ( MK-10).<\/p>\n
The Javelin prototype made its maiden flight on September 30, 2005. The main idea behind its concept is to combine advanced manufacturing technologies, safety features and jet engines in a two-seat executive jet. With a speed of 925 km \/ h, maneuverability (overload range + 6g \/ -3g), combined with the reliability, efficiency and comfort of a light business jet, the Javelin Executive Jet has no analogues in general aviation. Certification and the first deliveries of the aircraft were scheduled for 2008, but this plan never came true.<\/p>\n
One of the most promising and promising is the Honda Jet project. In December 2003, the Japanese automobile company Honda unveiled its first aircraft for production and sale. It is the first modern aircraft in Japan to be manufactured entirely (including engines) by one firm without any government support. For its jet, Honda developed the HF118 bypass turbojet engine and tested it for a year, installing it on the left pylon of the Citation Jet aircraft.<\/p>\n
The engines on the Honda Jet are mounted on pylons above the wing, like on the German VFW-614. This arrangement will reduce downward noise (noise on the ground, especially during takeoff and landing). In addition, the flow around the upper surface of the wing is improved and the likelihood of foreign objects entering the air intake from the runway is reduced. However, the structure of the air flows became more complex, so additional experiments in the wind tunnel were required. The stability of the engines with this arrangement was tested for angles of attack up to 26 \u00b0.<\/p>\n
A special laminar wing profile SHM-1 was developed for the aircraft. At 30% of the wingspan, flaps are installed that deviate by 15.7 \u00b0 during takeoff and 50 \u00b0 during landing. Aluminum wing and tail. The plumage is T-shaped.<\/p>\n
The fuselage is made of carbon composite materials with aluminum reinforcements, the nose is smoothed for laminar flow. The company claims that as a result, the drag of the fuselage is reduced by 10% compared to conventional fuselages of the same size.<\/p>\n
In static tests, the fuselage and wing were loaded only up to 80% of the design loads, and the behavior at 100% of the loads was simulated by computers. As a result, the glider, which underwent static tests, was used for the construction of a flight prototype. Only the plumage has been tested under full load. Honda plans to sell the Hondajet in the United States as a lightweight, low-cost business jet.<\/p>\n
As already mentioned, only a few companies have managed to go from project to mass production. But while some cars are still under development, other manufacturers have had to leave their dreams in the past.<\/p>\n
In the foreseeable future … Disappointing prospects or still profitable production<\/b><\/p>\n
It has long been clear that the popular slogan “Business jet for a million” will remain just a slogan. Even though some VLJs were originally priced at around a million dollars, reworking them to meet reliability and safety requirements increased the cost by more than 50%. By now, an ultralight jet plane for less than $ 1 million is hard to find. And the general optimism has diminished significantly. Bankruptcies of the industry's leading manufacturers are reported in the press every now and then – in just a year this fate befell Eclipse Aviation, Maverick Jets and Grob Aerospace, companies that seemed to be on their feet and had impressive order books.<\/p>\n
By the way, it is not the first time that Grob Aerospace has “stepped on the rake” of a new concept. The GF200 project was also aimed at expanding the network of business communications between small airfields, contained a number of innovations, such as a glider made entirely of composite materials, a propulsion system with a pusher tail rotor and an engine in the center of mass of the fuselage, operation under the concept of separate use. Very similar to the Eclipse 500.<\/p>\n
It left its mark on the present and future of the VLJ class aircraft and the difficult economic situation in the world. The global crisis has noticeably undermined the positions of air carriers, private aircraft owners and aircraft manufacturers all over the world. Traditionally, buyers and passengers of business jets have been and will remain people with much “above average” income, but the unfavorable situation has significantly affected their incomes. Naturally, the number of orders has also decreased. The D-Jet (Diamond Aircraft) and Eclipse 400 (Eclipse Aviation) projects are closed.<\/p>\n
Intense competition in the very light jet segment led to the bankruptcy of another manufacturer – in February 2008, Adam Aircraft filed for bankruptcy. Despite the presence of orders for jet A700 and piston A500 worth about $ 1 billion (very close to the same indicator of Eclipse Aviation), the company was unable to settle relations with creditors – by the end of January it had to pay $ 30.5 million. , and in May was counting on financing in the amount of $ 100 million. The money ran out at the moment when the company entered the flight test stage in the aircraft certification process. The staff of the company was reduced by 500 people. All of the top executives left Adam Aircraft immediately after the bankruptcy was declared.<\/p>\n
In April 2008, the Russian company Kaskol and the Industrial Investors group bought the bankrupt Adam Aircraft for $ 10 million. Thanks to the acquisition of the assets of Adam Aircraft Industries by AAI Acquisitions, associated with the Russian financial and industrial group Industrial Investors, it was possible to avoid the sale of Adam Aircraft in parts. The US press predicted an early resumption of the enterprise.<\/p>\n
The new owners of Adam Aircraft still have orders for 322 A700 aircraft worth $ 800 million. At the same time, the production capacity of the plant is 100 cars per year. According to the president of Industrial Investors Sergei Generalov, about $ 150 million would have to be invested in the creation and licensing of the A700. But here, too, the financial crisis has made its own adjustments. In November 2008, AAI cut its staff from 100 to 35 employees and then froze development of the A700. AAI revised the business plan a month later. Six months after the purchase of the American firm, Industrial Investors announced its intention to sell, in whole or in part, AAI Acquisition, created in April last year to buy the assets of the bankrupt Adam Aircraft Industries. It was stated that Industrial Investors would prefer to find a partner for the development and production of the A700, but did not rule out the possibility of selling AAI.<\/p>\n
The first experience of continuing the American VLJ project in Russia was not easy. Time will show what it will be in the Eclipse 500 production program in Ulyanovsk.<\/p>\n
Almost all of the leading aircraft manufacturers are reporting employee layoffs. Even the Cessna company, which announced its intention not to cut production volumes, found itself in a difficult situation. Due to the problems of financing aircraft production programs, Textron (owner of Cessna) is forced to focus on fulfilling government orders for the supply of military equipment. To do this, you may have to sacrifice one of the units not engaged in the fulfillment of the state order (there are two of them under Textron – Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopters). It remains only to wait for the further development of events.<\/p>\n
Against the backdrop of a general crisis and a reduction in production, Honda looks like a black sheep, which is actively placing advertisements for the hiring of qualified engineers and other professionals in the aerospace industry. The company intends to recruit 100 engineers this year to develop and certify the aircraft. Now about 400 people are involved in the development. Thus, the staff of the company may almost double the originally planned figure, which can be regarded as an alarming symptom. Management attributes the staffing policy to strong demand for the $ 3.9 million HondaJet. The order book exceeds 100 cars. The first deliveries of the aircraft are predicted no later than 2010, although the prototype of the serial HondaJet is due to take off in summer 2009.<\/p>\n
So what should be expected in the coming years? Increasing the number of VLJs or forgetting this idea?<\/p>\n
In the current situation, it is rather difficult to give an unambiguous answer. So far, we can only say that ultralight jet jets will never oust from the GA market single and twin-engine piston machines, which have always been and will be cheaper, more economical and easier to operate than their jet counterparts. But VLJs may well compete with multi-seat twin-engine turboprop aircraft. Comfort is important here – the absence of vibrations and significantly less noise in the cabin make the VLJ flight much less tiring, and the larger ceiling and simple piloting technique reduce the burden on the pilot. Due to the significant (1.5-2 times) superiority in speed, the flight takes less time, and the cost of a passenger-kilometer of a light jet aircraft, according to the calculations of some developers, is not only not more, but sometimes even less than that of a turboprop with such the same number of seats.<\/p>\n
What conclusions, applied to new aircraft designs, can be drawn from an analysis of the brief history of the emergence, flourishing and bankruptcy of several companies carried away by the ideas of creating a VLJ?<\/p>\n
Despite the fact that the designs of these aircraft differ in many ways, they have a lot in common:<\/p>\n
Simply put, if you want to surprise the world with an ingenious airplane, helicopter or even an ultralight vehicle, there is a chance if you have your head on your shoulders. But not many are able to make money and not go broke. Therefore, do not step on the rake unnecessarily, which your equally talented predecessors have repeatedly bruised their foreheads about.<\/p>\n
Source: General Aviation magazine
Author: Sergey Araslanov, Katerina Safonova<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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