Business jet
A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people, typically business executives and high-ranking associates. Business jets are generally designed for faster air travel and more personal comfort than commercial aircraft, and may be adapted for other roles, such as casualty evacuation or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by public bodies, government officials, VIPs, or even the armed forces.
"Bizjet" and "Private jet" redirect here. For other uses, see Bizjet (disambiguation) and Private Jets (band).History[edit]
Early developments[edit]
The first small, jet-powered civilian aircraft was the Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris, developed privately in the early 1950s from the MS.755 Fleuret two-seat jet trainer. First flown in 1954, the MS.760 Paris differs from subsequent business jets in having only four seats arranged in two rows without a center aisle, similar to a light aircraft, under a large sliding canopy similar to that of a fighter. A U.S. type certificate was awarded in July 1958, but commercial sales were limited, with most examples going to the military; an improved civilian version similar to a modern very light jet, with a six-seat enclosed cabin and a conventional door, never proceeded past the prototype stage.[2] The commercial failure of the MS.760 Paris prompted the cancellation of projects by Cessna and Douglas Aircraft to market similar jets.[3]
The development of center-aisle cabin business jets was accelerated by an August 1956 United States Air Force (USAF) letter of the requirement for two "off-the-shelf" aircraft, the larger UCX (cargo) and smaller UTX (trainer). These requirements differed from standard USAF procurement contracts in that no formal competitions would occur, and manufacturers were expected to develop the aircraft without government funds; despite this, a substantial USAF purchase would offset the large investment necessary to develop prototypes. Both Lockheed Corporation and McDonnell Aircraft began the development of UCX aircraft, while North American Aviation pursued the UTX requirement.[3][4]
1950s first flight[edit]
The Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris had a gross weight of 7,650 lb (3.47 t), initially powered by two Turboméca Marboré turbojets of 880 lbf (3.9 kN) thrust, although most aircraft were later upgraded to 1,058 lbf (4.71 kN) units. The aircraft seated a single pilot and up to three passengers under a sliding canopy, and was first flown on 29 July 1954; 219 were built.
Configuration[edit]
Most production business jets use two jet engines as a compromise between the operating economy of fewer engines and the ability to safely continue flight after an engine failure. Exceptions include the early Lockheed Jetstar with four engines; the Dassault Falcon 50 and derivatives with three; and the Cirrus Vision SF50 with one, a configuration also used in several similar very light jet design concepts. Most business jets use podded engines mounted on the rear fuselage with a cruciform tail or T-tail to reduce interference drag and increase exhaust clearance. Practical limits on the ground clearance of these smaller aircraft have prompted designers to avoid the common jetliner configuration of a low wing with underslung podded engines. The sole business jet to use this layout, the early McDonnell 119, was rejected by the USAF due to foreign object damage concerns, leading to the failure of the program.[10] The recent HondaJet uses wing-mounted engines but mitigates this problem with its unique over-the-wing engine pods.
As with jetliners, swept wings are often used to increase cruise speed, but straight wings are also commonplace; notably, Cessna deliberately prioritized docile low-speed handling in choosing straight wings for many models in its popular Citation family, envisioning that owners transitioning from slower piston engined or turboprop aircraft would want to maintain the ability to use relatively short runways, and that lower approach speeds would ease single-pilot operations, particularly by relatively inexperienced owner-pilots.[11]
Rolls-Royce plc powers over 3,000 business jets, 42% of the fleet:[12] all the Gulfstreams and Bombardier Globals, the Cessna Citation X and Embraer Legacy 600, early Hawkers, and many small jets with the Williams-Rolls FJ44.[13]