News
09/24/07 - spn sales climb to 70 orders
Grob Aerospace CEO Niall Olver announced today that firm orders for the spn light business jet globally had now passed 70 units, as interest in this very unique aircraft continues to grow following the company’s introduction of the new Porsche Design Studio spn interior at EBACE, Geneva in May this year. The raft of orders since EBACE has come from primarily corporate customers across predominantly Europe and the USA, adding to earlier announced orders for the spn across four continents, including a couple of strategically key commitments out of operators in the Middle East.
“As the company continues to add more sales resource and support infrastructure globally to the spn program” says Olver, “interest in the aircraft continues to build.” To only very recently Grob Aerospace’s marketing and sales focus had been quite deliberately Europe and North America. However, in the wake of a focus now on a broader global market, interest is quickly building in South America and key emerging markets in Far East, South East and Sub-Continent Asia. Although Olver won’t be drawn on identifying specific customers, he was happy to concede that, “it shouldn’t be long before Grob Aerospace will be in a position to start announcing orders from these exciting new business aviation markets”.
Olver added that, “Because the market has responded so very well to the spn, we are actually exceeding our sales targets. With our current order book we are confident that we will meet, or even exceed our goal to deliver 400 aircraft over the next 10 years, still projecting that at least half of the sales will come from North America.”
With test aircraft No 3 now fully assembled with all systems installed, an intensive period of comprehensive ground testing of systems such as fuel, engines, hydraulics, landing gear and avionics is now underway. This will be followed month end by taxiing tests and, quickly thereafter, first flight. Test aircraft No 3 will also fly most of the systems that will be installed in the fully conforming series production aircraft.
With the airframe fatigue test in preparation a major milestone for the certification process of the spn is imminent. Fatigue testing will be undertaken in-house and is scheduled to start in Q4 2007. Testing will simulate 84,000 flight hours and 51,000 landings and pressurization cycles to a minimum of 28,000 hours’ and 17’000 landings.
It is already well understood in the market that ongoing maintenance of the spn is simplified due to the aircraft’s fully carbon fiber construction, thereby virtually avoiding fatigue or corrosion problems that face metal aircraft. However, with the goal of further simplifying maintainability, Grob Aerospace has relocated certain systems into the wing fairing, including the oxygen system, single point pressure fuelling and some electrical power distribution. This equipment will be easily accessible through large access panels; designs motivated by the positive reaction from future maintainers and owners to the large panels already allowing easy access to spn avionics and hydraulics systems in the forward nose compartment.
In a final statement on the direction of the flight test program Olver reiterated earlier commitments announcing that a further three spn jets will support the flight test program following the introduction of the third prototype. Olver disclosed that production of the fourth test aircraft was already well under way and is scheduled to join the flight test program in Q4 2007. This will be in due course followed by the first two series production aircraft, both of which will join the flight the test program for functional reliability testing.
As to what planned production spec equipment is specifically installed on the third test aircraft, Olver drew specific attention to the landing gear, for which drop tests to confirm strength and energy absorption are due for completion by the end of this month. Developed by industry leader Liebherr Aerospace, the main trailing link landing gear as well as the nose landing gear boasts a very robust design, allow the spn to land regularly on unpaved airfields. Sitting higher than most aircraft in this class, the extra clearance provided by the landing gear ensures the aircraft is less exposed to debris, stability enhanced by carbon fiber brakes powered by a hydraulic braking system with anti-skid.
Olver took time to also emphasize some of the aircraft’s other unique attributes for its size and category, such as its large speed-brakes and ground spoilers which, together with the large Fowler flaps, are designed to provide excellent landing characteristics, even on very short and/or unpaved runways traditionally reserved for turboprops. “The philosophy and technology we have employed on the spn will enable the aircraft to undertake steep approaches at operationally challenging airports such as Aspen (CO) and London City in the UK, a significant selling point making the aircraft very appealing across all markets.
About the spn
The spn boasts an impressive range and payload for an aircraft in its class. With six passengers and one pilot, the aircraft can fly non-stop 1,800 nm (3,334 km / 2,071 mi). The aircraft features a total cabin volume of 405 cu.ft (11.5 m³) – by far the largest among light business jet, as well as a large passenger door.
Early sales success for the industry’s new generation light business jet has raised market interest with its unique operating characteristics. For example, it can operate on unimproved runways (gravel or grass), traditionally the domain of a turboprop, requiring a balanced field length of just 3,000 ft (914 m) at maximum take off weight.
The spn will also be certified for single pilot operation, and is equipped with an avionics suite more advanced than that of any other aircraft in its class. Honeywell’s integrated all glass cockpit sets new standards for simplicity, reliability and technology. Two rear-mounted FADEC controlled Williams FJ44-3A engines deliver 2,800 lbs (1,270 kg) of thrust.
Grob Aerospace – Over 35 Years of Aviation History
In business for 35 years, Grob Aerospace is one of the world’s largest and most experienced composite aircraft manufacturers. It has delivered more than 3,500 aircraft that have flown over seven million hours on five continents.
The company is headquartered in Switzerland but maintains its own purpose built airfield in Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Germany that accommodates its manufacturing and assembly facilities. In 2007 Grob Aerospace established a wholly-owned US subsidiary to provide a complete, world-class ownership experience to North American customers. Grob Aerospace‘s central base in the United States is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with several regional sales offices throughout the USA.
www.grob-aerospace.com
For further information contact:
Elisabeth Palander
Grob Aerospace AG
+41 44 876 56 82
elisabeth.palander@grob-aerospace.ch
Alison Chambers / Celia Turner
Emerald Media
+44 1962 736600
alison@emeraldmedia.co.uk
Juliane von Heimendahl
Grob Aerospace AG
+41 876 56 89
Juliane.von.heimendahl@grob-aerospace.ch