Source: Wikipedia
March 7, 2014
There are a number of new business jets planned for the near future. Cessna, Honda and Learjet (Bombardier) have all been working on new, innovative, technically advanced business jets for the next generation of business travel.
Roomy Cabin and Modern Cockpit
Cessna’s new Citation Latitude jet made its first test flight in Wichita, Kansas on February 18, 2014. Cessna’s goal was to build a lighter, luxury business jet with more room in the passenger cabin. The Latitude has plenty of space. The modern, luxurious cabin offers 77 inches of width, 6 feet of height and more than 21 feet of length. The Latitude holds up to nine passengers comfortably. The flight deck is a modern marvel. The cockpit is filled with the newest touch-screen avionics, giving pilots access to all flight data on four glass LCD screens. With a swipe of the pilot’s finger they can take control of the Latitude’s advanced navigation, traffic, surveillance and communications systems. One of the coolest features in the cockpit is the Garmin SVT (synthetic vision technology) system. The system creates a virtual-reality view of the terrain, obstacles, traffic, runways and anything else outside the plane. Pilots get a crystal clear, dimensional view of everything outside the windscreen, whether they are flying in the clouds or at night. The system resembles a high-tech video game, but it’s all business. This gives pilots situational awareness in any circumstance. The Latitude soars at 45,000 feet, has a top range of 2,500 miles and cruises along at a max speed of Mach 0.800 (608.96 mph).
Innovative and Quiet
Honda’s new HondaJet is literally changing the look of business jets. One of Honda’s innovations is the HondaJets unique Natural Laminar Flow (NLF), an advanced aero dynamical design of the nose, fuselage and airfoil to dramatically cut down on drag and increase performance. The real noticeable difference when you first see the HondaJet is the unique placement of the engines. The engines are mounted above the wing. Honda’s over-the-wing-engine mount took 20 years to develop. This innovative idea to mount the engine above the wing and away from the fuselage makes for a quieter and larger cabin with increased fuel efficiency. The fuselage is made up of strong carbon fiber, rather than aluminum, which also contributes to better fuel efficiency. The modern all glass cockpit incorporates the Garmin® G3000 next-generation avionics, three 14-inch landscape oriented high resolution, touch screen displays, and is designed for single or dual pilot flight. Another cool feature; the passengers can control everything from temperature, lighting, audio and electro chromatic window shades with their mobile-device. The HondaJet has a max altitude of 43,000 feet and a max cruise speed of 420-knots (about 483 mph).
Max Comfort and Efficiency
It’s been more than 15 years since Bombardier Learjet has produced an all brand new jet. The new Learjet 85 is set to start test flights soon. The 85 is an all-composite jet. The company says it’s the Learjet for the next generation, with high performance, comfort and new technology. The 85 gives passengers complete control over the cabin arrangement. The 85 has a true double-club arrangement and fully reclining seats. The 85 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW307B turbofans, able to produce 6,100 pounds of thrust and high-speed cruise of Mach 0.82 (624 mph). Inside the cockpit it’s all about technology with the Vision Flight deck, customized for the 85 and the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite. The avionics suite features three 15-inch active matrix LCDs, the largest screens available. Like the Cessna Latitude, the 85 has the synthetic vision technology (SVT) giving the pilots superior situational awareness.
These three jets are on the cutting edge of today’s technology, using advanced, light-weight, energy efficient materials, innovative engine configurations, user-friendly interiors that make the best use of passenger cabin space and high-tech avionics to create the next generation of advanced jets for business travel.
