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Aviation History
1998
1998 - 2761.PDF
ity was "very professional", according to IAI, the cabin dimensions, and dierefore comfort, of a Russian company, which had only recently larger aircraft costing much more - hence the emerged from its Communist-era background, description of the Galaxy as a "super mid-size" failed to meet quality and timescale require- business jet. Genisher explains: "Our intention ments. "They managed to build a few parts, but is to give comfort equivalent to a 'heavy iron' we never saw a complete fuselage," says IAI business jet with the value and pricing of a mid- business jet engineering manager Joshua Sher. sized aircraft." The Galaxy price at $ 17 million In the summer of 1995, therefore, responsi- for 1999and$17.5millionfor2000-morethan bility for the fuselage was returned to IAI, which the $10-12 million pricetag on current mid- undertook a major effort to redraw the entire sized jets, but considerably less than the $20-37 structure on to the Unigraphics three-dimen- million cost of the top-of-the-range aircraft, sional computer-aided design system, along The market appears to be supporting the with the rest of the airframe. A bidders' confer- concept. While declining to reveal figures, ence was then held, leading to die selection of Galaxy Aerospace says that orders to date French company Sogerma as fuselage supplier, amount to an 18-month backlog at the current with IAI building the first five prototype exam- planned production rate of eight aircraft in 1999 pies, for which Sogerma was to provide the and 15 in 2000. "We expect the backlog to empennage, doors and tailcone. Following increase to two years and to be worth $3 50 mil- renegotiation of die deal when Henri-Paul Puel lion by certification," says Galaxy Aerospace took over as president of Sogerma, all parties are president Brian Barents, now happy with die arrangements. "The quali- Genisher calls the design approach to the ty of their work is really excellent," says Sher. Galaxy a "prudent use of modern technology", combining an all-new design with die best of FINANCIAL SOLUTION IAI's experience in more than 30 years of busi- The next problem, lack of finance, resulted in a ness jet activity. "We looked at the design on a partnership being formed in February 1997 case-by-case basis. Where we saw real cost with the Pritzker group (owner of the Hyatt benefits, we used the best technology available, hotel chain). This led to the formation of Fort but when we were undecided, we stayed with Worth, Texas-based Galaxy Aerospace, which traditional techniques," he explains, is responsible for marketing and support for The Galaxy's heritage dates from 1967, when both the Galaxy and the existing Astra SPX IAI introduced the Westwind, basically a business jet. IAI remains in charge of manufac- modified version of the US-designed Rockwell turing and final assembly of the aircraft - and Jet Commander fitted with new engines and helps widi sales from its Tel Aviv base. avionics. This was followed by the Westwind II The philosophy behind the Galaxy is (with Garrett TFE731-3 turbofans, more fuel, straightforward: to offer business travellers a winglets, and improved avionics and interior), mid-sized, long-range business jet with the Nextcame the Astra, certificated in 1985,incor-|» The Galaxy "super mid-size" business jet aims to lower the price of large- cabin comfort JULIAN MOXON/TEL AVIV CUTAWAY/JOHN MARSDEN AND TIM HALL THE PRESSURE IS ON at Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) as its business aircraft divi sion works to certificate its latest design by the late December deadline. The on- schedule maiden flight of the third prototype Galaxy on 2 3 September was a further boost to a programme that, after overcoming early pro duction problems, has stuck rigidly to its sched ule. The overriding aim now is to get this aircraft, the first built to series-production stan dard, to the all-important US National Business Aviation Association show at Las Vegas, Nevada, on 19-21 October, before which it must have built up a minimum 50h of flight time in Israel. "We are sure we can do it," says IAI Galaxy programme manager Zvi Genisher. While technical development has proceeded almost without incident since it was launched in mid-1993, the Galaxy programme has been faced with production and financial problems which led to an 18-month delay in certification. The trouble began with die choice of Yakovlev as fuselage subcontractor. While its design abil- FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 30 September - 6 October 1998 65
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