By Carl Chance, Wings Over Kansas’s aviation & aerospace correspondent, former news consultant and producer for Wingspan Air & Space Channel.
Boeing to Spotlight Broad Range of Commercial, Defense Products and Services at Aero India 2007:
The Boeing Company will spotlight its capabilities and products at the upcoming Aero India 2007 show, which begins in Bangalore, India on February 7th.
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems will feature the combat-proven F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter, which will be on display and conduct daily aerial demonstrations with a full weapons load during the show. Also on display will be the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, whose unparalleled lift capabilities have been proven in numerous military and humanitarian roles around the world. Visitors will also see Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter at Aero India 2007.
The Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ exhibit will feature large-scale models of its family of airplanes in both customer and Boeing liveries, as well as interactive displays.
Bombardier Learjet 60 XR Soars in Middle East Region:
Bombardier announced the sales breakthrough of its next-generation Bombardier Learjet 60 XR jet in the Middle East. Firm orders from an operator in Dubai and Jeddah for one aircraft each, and operators in Kuwait for two aircraft combine for a total value of $52 million US, based on the list price for typically equipped aircraft.
The Learjet 60 XR aircraft, the newest member of the legendary Learjet family, is poised to set new standards in performance, comfort, value and versatility in the worldwide midsize jet market. Particularly well suited to meet the needs of operators in the Middle East, the Learjet 60 XR jet has a 2,451 nautical mile (4,539 km) range and delivers superior climb capabilities, with proven fuel-efficiency and low direct operating costs per nautical mile.
Cessna Delivers the 1,000th Citation Jet:
Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron, Inc Company, delivered its 1,000th CitationJet series aircraft, CJ2+, to Xpressdocs, a Fort Worth, Texas based company.
The first single pilot CitationJet was certified on October 16, 1992. Since then, the CJ family has grown to include three different models, the CJ1+, CJ2+ and CJ3, with configurations varying from 6 to 8 passengers in the main cabin. All CJ models are powered by Williams International F44 series engines. The FJ44-1A model powers the CJ1+ to a maximum cruise speed of 389 KTAS and a service ceiling of 41,000 ft. With FJ44-3A-24 engines, the larger CJ2+ is capable of 418 KTAS and 45,000 ft. The CJ3, with FJ44-3A engines, carries more payload than the CJ2+, with the performance to match.
Cessna Celebrating 80th Anniversary:
Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 187,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of more than 4,500 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world.
In its nearly 80-year history, Cessna has produced 43 single engine piston models, 18 multi-engine models and 19 models of business jet aircraft. Cessna has continued to lead the industry by certifying and bringing to market more jets than any other manufacturer. The Citation business jet fleet now has more than 19 million flight hours.
Cessna currently manufactures nine business jet models, ranging from the newest edition, the six-seat Citation Mustang, to the world’s fastest civil aircraft, the Citation X. Cessna manufacturers three piston-powered aircraft, the 172 Skyhawk, 182 Skylane and 206 Stationair., plus the unmatched Caravan turboprop aircraft. The 172 and 182 are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2006. With more than 42,500 172 Skyhawks produced, it is the highest-volume commercial airplane ever made.
More than half the general aviation aircraft flying today are Cessna’s. Worldwide, Cessna employs more than 12,000 people in the design, manufacturing, sales, marketing and support of its products. Manufacturing operations are located in Wichita and Independence, Kan., Columbus, Ga., and Chihuahua, Mexico.
Exciting New Chapter for Beechcraft & Hawker:
December 21, 2006, the Raytheon Company announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to sell Raytheon Aircraft Company to Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, a new company formed by GS Capital Partners, an affiliate Goldman Sachs, and Onex Partners.
The sale will not include Flight Options or Raytheon Airline Aviation Services (RAAS).
Additional news will be forthcoming, revealing the transition date and hand-over of company ownership. Of interest will be the new owners strategic plans for the products and directions implemented.
I’ll have more news and items of interest as they develop and will be published in my next “Air Capital Aviation Report.” Please keep logging on to www.wingsoverkansas.com for weekly aviation and aerospace update stories, features, history and more.
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