News
09/11/07 - spn jets into Cambridge Airport for UK debut
Grob Aerospace will showcase its new spn light jet at Cambridge Airport, East Anglia, UK, this week, coinciding with its participation at the Business & General Aviation Day (BGAD) 07, the premier one-day UK business aviation event. An aircraft from the test fleet is due to land on the afternoon of the 10th and will be available for private showings on the 11th, prior to its participation in the static display on the 12th. Grob Aerospace will be at Booth No 25“
We are delighted to be making the BGAD Show at Cambridge Airport the first opportunity to present the spn in the UK,” said Grob Aerospace CEO Niall Olver. “The UK is a market that we are confident will be very successful for us with the planned expansion at many tertiary airports, including the very successful premier business airport Farnborough and of course London City Airport, which the spn will be certificated for in due course.”
Since its public debut at the Paris Air Show in 2005, Grob Aerospace has secured in excess of 60 orders – or the equivalent to two years’ production for the spn, taking non-refundable deposits from customers in Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East. Grob Aerospace and ExecuJet Europe, its exclusive sales agent outside North America, are in dialogue with a number of operators in the UK who are attracted not only by the aircraft’s ability to land on short, unpaved runways (gravel or grass), traditionally the domain of a turboprop, but its elegant and spacious cabin and large passenger door.
Porsche Design Studio has designed the interior look for the cabin and the cockpit of the aircraft (not displayed on the prototype on show at Cambridge. It is the first time that Porsche Design Studio has applied its clean lines philosophy and design to a business jet.
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) with NBAA IFR reserves. 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. At maximum takeoff weight, the spn requires just 3,000 ft (914 m).
The spn will also be certified for single pilot operation and is equipped with one of the most advanced avionics suites amongst the aircraft in its class. Honeywell’s Primus Apex 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.
About Porsche Design Studio
Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See, Austria, stands for the distinctive, timeless and unmistakable design signature that characterizes all of the Porsche Design Group’s products. The studio also offers its design services to other companies in the areas of industrial and product design. Today, Porsche Design Studio is one of Europe’s most recognized design companies. Their products have been recognized for their outstanding quality at internationally renowned competitions, such as the IF Forum Hanover, the Red Dot Award or the EISA Award.
Grob Aerospace – Over 35 Years of Aviation History
In business for over 35 years, Grob Aerospace is one of the world’s largest and most experienced composite aircraft manufacturers. The company is headquartered in Switzerland but maintains its own purpose built airfield in Tussenhausen-Mattsies Germany that accommodates its manufacturing and assembly facilities. Grob Aerospace established a wholly-owned subsidiary to provide a complete, world-class ownership experience to North American customers. The Grob Aerospace Inc. central base in the United States is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the site of the former 4,500-acre Pease Air Force Base, converted to commercial use in the early ‘90s. The company also maintains regional sales offices and factory-authorized service centers throughout the United States-region.
For further information contact:
Elisabeth Palander Alison Chambers / Celia Turner
Grob Aerospace AG Emerald Media
+41 44 876 56 82 +44 1962 736600
elisabeth.palander@grob-aerospace.ch alison@emeraldmedia.co.uk
Juliane von Heimendahl
Grob Aerospace AG
+41 44 876 56 89
Juliane.von.heimendahl@grob-aerospace.ch