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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 3116.PDF
NBAA SHOW REPORT Orlando, Florida, hosted a record number of exhibitors and aircraft at the 1996 US National Business Aircraft Association convention which was held on 18-21 November, headlined by the launch by Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing Helicopters of the world's first civil tilt- rotor aircraft. Ramon Lopez, Forbes Mutch, Alan Peaford and Graham Warwick report from the 1997 show, with photography by Mark Wagner. Barents takes helm at IAI and Pritzker's Galaxy joint venture FORMER LEARJET president Brian Barents took centre stage at NBAA, announcing the long- awaited formation of Galaxy Aerospace, die company which will take over manufacturing, market ing and support of Israel Aircraft Industries' (IAI) Astra and Galaxy business jets. Barents is the president of Galaxy, which he describes as a "financially strong" company. He says tJiat he will have an equity stake in US-based Galaxy, which is a joint venture between IAI and die Pritzker family, which owns Hyatt Hotels chain. Galaxy will take over the opera tions of IAI's Astra Jet marketing arm, and will establish a comple tion and service centre at a US location yet to be decided. Barents says that site-selection negotia tions will begin immediately after the NBAA show. Barents: Galaxy is 'financially strong" Hyatt president Tom Priztker says that the investment group spentmoretiianayear studying die Galaxy business-jet programme, and says: "We diink we have a win ner." He says that independent analysts have confirmed that the "super mid-size" business-jet mar ket, into which die $14.6 million Galaxy has been pitched, is under- served. Pritzker declines to divulge die extent of die company's stake in Galaxy Aerospace. Galaxy will be responsible for marketing the current Astra SPX and widebody Galaxy. The com pany plans to begin completing Astras in December 1997, and expects to receive the first green Galaxy in 1998. Barents says that Galaxy intends to have delivered 2 0 aircraft by the end of 1999. Plans call for delivery of 12-18 Astra SPXs and 18-24 Galaxys a year. IAI says that assembly of four Galaxy flight-test aircraft has begun in Israel. The first flight is scheduled for die fourth quarter of 1997, leading to certification and delivery to die completion centre a year later. Officials believe that the financial resources committed by die Pritzker group, coupled widi die Israeli Government's recent recapitalisa tion of state-owned IAI, will make Galaxy a "formidable" competitorin die business-jet market. • The Cessna Citation Excel is sold out until the third quarter of 2000 Cessna gives Citation Excel its first public outing CESSNA SAYS THAT it will deliver die first Citation Excel widebody light business-jet in November 1997. Two are now being flown, and die aircraft had its public debut at die NBAA show. A diird aircraft, the first production Excel, will be flown in July 1997. Cessna says diat the programme is ahead of schedule as die company seeks to create additional produc tion capacity to meet demand for die aircraft. The Excel is sold out to the third quarter of 2000, and Cessna hopes to produce addition al aircraft in 1999. Certification of the Citation Bravo upgrade of the Citation II light business-jet is behind sched ule, but is now only weeks away, according to the die company. Deliveries will begin on schedule in January, Cessna says that it has an 18-month production backlog. • 8 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 27 November - 3 December 1996
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