The world’s fastest civilian jet since the Concorde is on track for its first delivery this year. Bombardier announced today that the first production model of the Global 8000 is now in final assembly at its Toronto Aircraft Assembly Center. “This impressive aircraft will be the fastest and longest-range purpose-built business aircraft ever built," Stephen McCullough, Bombardier’s senior vice president of engineering and product development, said in a statement.
The Global 8000 will replace Bombardier’s current Global 7500 flagship with improved stats that include a range of 8,000 nautical miles (7,500 on the 7500), a slightly higher cruise speed, and a top speed of Mach 0.94 (though it went supersonic at Mach 1.015 during a May 2021 flight test, thanks to largely to a tweak in the GE Passport engine software that delivered more thrust).
The original plans called for the 8000 to have a smaller fuselage, but the update includes the same fuselage length as the 7500 with a similar four-zone cabin layout. Both have 2,637 cubic feet of cabin space. The engineering team also figured out a way to optimize fuel without enlarging the fuel tanks on the 8000, which provides the extra range.
The 8000 will inherit technical assets from the 7500 like its “smooth flex wing" that reduces drag, turbulence, and fuel burn; Nuage zero-gravity recliner seats; Soleil lighting, which is designed to mitigate jet lag by modifying the passenger’s circadian rhythms; and a cabin management system designed by Lufthansa. Cabin pressurization on the 8000 is the equivalent of 2,900 feet.
Bombardier’s new flagship will be entering an already crowded field of ultra-long-range jumbo business jets, including the Gulfstream G700 and the Dassault Falcon 10X, along with the smaller Gulfstream G800 and the Falcon 6X. In this competitive and very expensive race, the stats matter to buyers, including the 8000’s extra range and higher cruise speed over the 7500 (and most of its competitors). Despite having the same range as the G800, for example, the Global 8000’s cabin is nearly eight feet longer (though the G800 cabin is an inch taller and two inches wider).
McCullough said the Global 8000 can also access airports with shorter runways than other aircraft in its class. The Global 8000 Flight Test Vehicle (FTV) has been flying since 2021, and during flight testing, it exceeded Mach 1. Its most recent flights were to Europe.
The 8000’s predecessor set 100 speed records from different cities around the world, including the longest nonstop business jet flight ever from Sydney to Detroit, and Bombardier says the 8000 will unlock more city pairs than before, including nonstop flights from Dubai to Houston, Singapore to Los Angeles, and London to Perth.
The starting price for the Global 8000 is $81 million. Fractional provider NetJets will be the launch customer.
From the article by Michael Verdon
