Global enhancements
Bombardier
Aerospace has announced that its performance enhancement program (PEP) for the
Global Express is progressing well, exceeding the company's initial objectives.
The results from flight testing of the fuel scavenge modification have demonstrated
a 140-lb reduction in unusable fuel, exceeding the anticipated 130-lb reduction
by about 8%.
The Continental Business Jet is on target for its first flight test by mid-2001.
In addition, the company has announced that development of its Continental Business Jet is on schedule and will meet its first flight target date of mid-2001. The first group of major structural subassemblies and systems has arrived on time, and the first aircraft has begun to take shape at the final assembly line in Wichita, KS. Manufactured at Hawker de Havilland in Australia, the tailcone was the first major structural component to arrive in early August, followed by the cockpit and forward fuselage from Bombardier's Montreal facility and the center fuselage from the company's Belfast facility in Northern Ireland. The wing, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagoya, Japan, arrived in September.
These structural components arrived with most of the required systems already
installed. Once in Wichita, they are joined at five different workstations beginning
with fuselage mating and en
ding
with a fully functional aircraft ready for final preflight checks. The fuselage
components are joined with a computer-controlled tooling system that uses laser
technology to ensure a high level of precision and accuracy for drilling and
riveting. This technology enables manufacturers to assemble the aircraft within
tight tolerances, thus ensuring a high level of quality.
Bombardier's Global Express will receive some performance enhancements.
The Continental's engine development is also progressing. The Honeywell AS 907 engine program recently passed the 3000-h mark in its test program, with more than 300 h in flight. The engine successfully passed its first fan blade-out test, which involves an intentional separation of a fan blade at full power. The pass/fail criteria for the blade-out test requires that there are no high-energy particles, fire, or release of flammable fluids and that the engine remains securely on its mounts. There must also be no loss of engine thrust control.
The Continental is scheduled for certification during the third quarter of 2002, with the first green delivery in the fourth quarter of that year.
Frank Bokulich
Launching the Gulfstream V-SP
Gulfstream
Aerospace Corp. has begun development of its next-generation business jet, the
GV-SP. The cockpit will feature PlaneView, a group of advancements designed
to enhance aircraft safety and reliability. The suite is a series of integrated
features that include a Honeywell visual guidance system, Gulfstream's enhanced
vision system (EVS), Gulfstreams' signature cursor control device, and Honeywell's
Primus Epic flight instrumentation suite.
The ESIS GH-3100 is similar to the ESIS GH-3000 used by the Citation Sovereign, though it features its own internal air data sensor for altitude, airspeed, and vertical speed data.
The EVS produces an infrared image displayed on the pilot's visual guidance system head-up display. A forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera manufactured by Kollsman projects a real-world image on the Honeywell visual guidance system. The image provides the pilot with the ability to see through fog and darkness, avoid terrain, and safely land the aircraft in very low visibility conditions. A cryogenically cooled sensor used by EVS is particularly sensitive to the infrared radiation content of standard runway lights.
Gulfstream completed proof-of-concept testing of the EVS on the GV. The tests, which were conducted with the FAA this summer, included more than 100 successful approaches in a variety of weather conditions. Certification testing of the system will begin in the first quarter of 2001.
Honeywell's Primus Epic modular avionics serves as the basic platform for PlaneView. The system builds on the proven SPZ-8500 avionics used by the GV to offer greater physical and functional integration. The modular design of the avionics contributes to a significantly smaller and lighter system. The reduction of the number of avionics boxes increases usable cabin volume for greater outfitting flexibility and provides room for an additional oval window. The cabin has also been designed to provide a 25% increase in baggage volume compared to the GV.
Four 14-in liquid crystal displays will be used in this aircraft compared to the six cathode ray tubes used in the existing GV. These large multifunction displays provide a variety of information to the pilot such as uplinked satellite weather, graphical flight planning and radio tuning, moving map displays with terrain and territorial boundaries, airport symbols, runway orientation, and departure and approach procedures.
Complementing the PlaneView cockpit is BFGoodrich's electronic standby instrument system (ESIS) GH-3100 and electronic bearing distance indicator EBDI-4000. The GH-3100 is similar to the GH-3000 used by the Citation Sovereign. However, the GH-3100 features its own internal air data sensor for altitude, airspeed, and vertical speed data. This allows for a more redundant system in that the unit does not rely on the aircraft's primary air data sensors.
The EBDI-4000 was designed to replace electromechanical RMIs and was specifically developed for the needs of business aircraft. The standalone system allows for pilot-commanded heading and course inputs on one flat panel 3-in ATI display.
The GV-SP will feature the same Rolls-Royce BR 710 turbofan that is used by the GV. The two-shaft engine delivers 14,000-17,000 lb of thrust. A combination of aerodynamic enhancements, engine improvements, reduced empty weight, and a better specific fuel consumption will result in an increased range and a 150-ft reduction in the required takeoff distance compared to the GV. The GV-SP's range of 6750 nmi is a 250 nmi improvement over the GV. The new aircraft will also be capable of flying 5000-nmi trips at Mach 0.87 and 6000 nmi at Mach 0.85.
Frank Bokulich
