In the Works: Outlook good for major OEMs’ programs, but the future is hazier for smaller firms

In many ways, last year was an extraordinary year for business aviation, with a record of more than 1,000 jet deliveries but also a large number of new jet

By Matt Thurber • Editor-in-Chief

December 31, 2008

In many ways, last year was an extraordinary year for business aviation, with a record of more than 1,000 jet deliveries but also a large number of new jet programs launched. Last year, Cessna kicked off the Citation Columbus, a more than three-quarter billion dollar program that brings Cessna into the large-cabin long-range jet market. Dassault is upgrading the Falcon 900 with winglets to make
the 900LX, but the company has still not firmed up plans for the so-called advanced-technology “SMS” jet. Embraer launched two new models, the midsize Legacy 450 and 500, also a program that is slated to cost around three-quarters of a billion dollars. Gulfstream is bringing two new models to market, the G250 in the super-midsize arena and the company’s largest long-range jet, the G650. Hawker Beechcraft is taking a more conservative road with upgrades to existing jets, announcing the new Hawker 450XP and the Premier II. There is even a new entrant in the very light jet market, the single-engine composite Stratos 714. Although Eclipse Aviation formally launched the Model 400 single-engine VLJ earlier last year, the company’s financial problems have put a halt to the program, for now.

There were other new aircraft programs, too, but some of these–such as the Dornier Seastar amphibian and Gippsland Next-Generation Nomad– are resurrected versions of existing programs. Comp Air is working on three single-engine turboprops, but it remains to be seen if the company has the financing and the expertise to make it to certification. Epic Aircraft is somewhat in the same boat, now planning to make its first attempt at certification with the Escape single-engine turboprop. The record of manufacturers transitioning from the experimental market, which Comp Air and Epic Aircraft serve actively, to the certified market is not full of success stories, but both companies offer aircraft that they expect will offer clear performance advantages. Nevertheless, clearer progress on the certification efforts will have to take place for these programs to mature.

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