Flight International - 5 June 2018

(C. Jardin) #1

16 | Flight International | 5-11 June 2018 flightglobal.com


EBACE 2018


Show report


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S


afran Aircraft Engines has
launched a redesign of the
high-pressure compressor for the
Silvercrest engine, hoping to res-
cue the propulsion programme,
with the fate of Textron Aviation’s
Cessna Citation Hemisphere
hanging in the balance.
Textron Aviation and Safran
expect to have the data they need
to inform a go-ahead decision on
the redesigned compressor mod-
ule by the middle of next year,
says Brad Thress, senior vice-
president of engineering for the
Wichita-based airframer.
“That’s when the test rig and
the engine will prove itself out in
actual hardware and testing,”
Thress says.
Textron Aviation, meanwhile,
has suspended development
work on the large cabin Hemi-
sphere programme while Safran’s
redesign effort continues, accord-


ing to chief executive Scott Ernest.
The Hemisphere represents
the largest aircraft ever launched
by Textron Aviation’s member
brands, which since 2014 have
included Cessna and Hawker
Beechcraft. Company officials
have previously said the Hemi-
sphere programme will be
shelved if the problems with the
Silvercrest cannot be fixed.
Safran disclosed last October
that the Silvercrest suffered from
response problems at low air-
speeds and high altitudes. The
announcement prompted Das-
sault Aviation to cancel the Sil-
vercrest-powered Falcon 5X pro-
gramme. But Textron Aviation
decided to adopt a wait-and-see
approach, having invested mini-
mal development resources in
the airframe design at the time
the Silvercrest’s new issues came
to light. ■

H


onda Aircraft has revealed
the first major upgrade for its
HA-420 HondaJet only 30
months after the entry-level jet
entered service.
The first HondaJet Elite will be
delivered in August with a 17%
range increase, a shorter take-off
roll and several avionics im-
provements, says chief executive
Michimasa Fujino.
“The HondaJet Elite takes pas-
sengers farther, faster, higher and
in greater comfort than any other
business jet in its class,” Fuji-
no says.
The arrival of the $5.2 million
HondaJet Elite comes early by in-
dustry standards. Most manufac-
turers wait at least six or seven
years after a type is introduced
before they roll out the first major
performance improvements.
But Honda Aircraft has taken
its cue from its parent company, a
giant in the automotive industry,
where performance upgrades to
car models are rolled out some-
times on a yearly schedule.
The HondaJet Elite adds an
auxiliary fuel tank that increases

Update narrows gap with rivals in range and ground performance

Development work on large-cabin programme has been suspended


range by 231nm (428km), to
1,437nm.
The Greensboro, North Caroli-
na-based manufacturer also
tweaked the elevator design, in-
creasing its authority to reduce
the HondaJet Elite’s take-off roll
by 122m (400ft).
The original HondaJet al-
ready boasts class-leading
speed, but the Elite upgrade re-
duces the advantages of rival
Textron Aviation’s Cessna M2 in
the areas of range and take-off
performance.
The HondaJet Elite also brings
upgrades for the cabin. A new
noise-attenuating engine inlet is
added to reduce vibration and
sound inside the four-seat cabin.
The cabin itself is now augment-
ed by a lavatory with a belted
seat, allowing a fifth passenger to
be accommodated even with a
galley.
The Garmin G3000 avionics
suite is also improved with sev-
eral new features, including auto-
mated stability and angle of at-
tack protection, as well as
computed take-off distance. ■

E


mbraer has secured a follow-
on order from German charter
operator Air Hamburg for four
Embraer Legacy 650Es.
Deliveries are scheduled to
begin in the second quarter and
will continue at a rate of one
every three months, the Brazilian
airframer says.
The deal comes a year after Air
Hamburg became the launch cus-
tomer for the large-cabin business


jet, with an order for three aircraft,
all of which have entered service.
Air Hamburg is the largest op-
erator of Legacy 600-series busi-
ness jets in the world. Its line-up
also includes nine Legacy 650s –
the predecessor to the E-variant;
two super-midsize Legacy 600s; a
pair of Phenom 300 light twins;
seven superlight Cessna Citation
XLSs; two Citation CJ3s and one
CJ2. ■

PROGRAMME

HondaJet’s Elite


upgrade gets its


drive from parent


Following auto industry example, enhanced version of
light type arrives two-and-a-half years after service entry

ORDER


Air Hamburg strengthens Legacy


PROPULSION


Hemisphere fate rests


on Silvercrest redesign


Textron Aviation
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