The 2022 edition of NBAA-BACE brought plenty of news from the convention hall in Orlando, as well as at the static aircraft display at Orlando Executive Airport (ORL).
While this was the second convention to be held in person since the pandemic, in many ways it was the first to feel like things were nearing full force again. Here is a rundown of some of the highlights of this year’s event.
The return of Gulfstream
After sitting out from the trip to Vegas in 2021, instead unveiling its G400 and G800 remotely from its Savannah headquarters, Gulfstream had a sizeable presence at the static display this year.
The flight test G800 was joined by the full in-production Gulfstream fleet, the G280, G500, G600 and G650ER, along with two fully outfitted G700 production test aircraft and a cabin mockup of the G400.
RELATED STORY: Gulfstream announces G700 world tour
Bombardier debuts new executive cabins
Canadian private jet maker Bombardier rolled out its new three-zone configurations for its Global 7500 and Global 800 aircraft. The new design features three workspaces, each 12 feet in length. They will serve the roles of an office suite, a conference suite and a C-suite.
RELATED STORY: Bombardier unveils the executive cabin for the Global 7500 and Global 8000
The company also delivered its first Challenger 3500 and announced a deal to buy SAF for all of its flight operations through a landmark agreement with Signature Aviation.
Beechcraft Denali mockup on display
Among the offerings from Textron was a mockup of its single-engine turboprop under the Beechcraft line, the Denali. Test flights of the Denali began in June. The company announced during the convention that certification and production will be delayed one year, now set for the second half of 2024.
While some media outlets reported that more time is needed for certification and production on a new Catalyst engine from GE Aviation, Textron President and CEO Ron Draper, denied that being an issue.
He said the delay was primarily due to the pandemic and the need to meet customer demands for the Cessna SkyCourier, of which FedEx has a purchase order of 50 planes and the option to buy an additional 50.
Citation XLS Gen2 makes North American debut
Also on display from Textron were the redesigned interiors in the Cessna Citation XLS Gen2 and Citation M2 Gen2. It was the North American debut for the XLS Gen2 and the first appearance at NBAA for the M2 Gen2.
RELATED STORY: A look inside the Cessna Citation XLS Gen2 during its North American show debut at NBAA-BACE
Tecnam reveals details on its P2012 STOL
Among the aircraft announcements making the biggest buzz on social media going into NBAA-BACE was that of Italian plane maker Tecnam and its plans to produce a short takeoff and landing variant of its P2012 aircraft.
Its P2012 Traveler made its first trip to NBAA-BACE as company officials laid out more details about the P2012 STOL. They announced a price point of $2.75 million and said that deliveries will begin at the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024.
The twin-piston P2012 STOL can land at a distance as short as 510 feet on the ground without an obstacle.
RELATED STORY: Tecnam P2012 STOL delivery dates, bookings, price announced during NBAA-BACE
HondaJet announces Elite II edition
For the second year in a row, HondaJet brought a mockup to NBAA-BACE that was not made known publicly until the start of the show. Last year it was the HondaJet 2600 concept, this year it was an updated edition to its Elite line, the Elite II.
Along with new automated pilot-assist features in the cockpit, the Elite II will cover a range of 1,547 nm with a max cruise speed of 422 KTAs and a max cruise altitude of 43,000 feet with increased fuel capacity and payload. It also gets an updated club interior.
RELATED STORY: Checking out the HondaJet Elite II mockup during NBAA-BACE
While the 2022 edition of NBAA-BACE did not bring any new model announcements from the Big 3 of Gulfstream, Bombardier and Textron, there was still plenty of news to be made. And with backlogs stretching more than two years for a new private jet, who can blame the manufacturers for not quickly moving to introduce entirely new lines?
NBAA-BACE makes its return to Las Vegas in October 2023.
Additional Stories from NBAA-BACE 2022:
NBAA honors ATC who helped passenger safely land a plane
JETNET expects bizjet sales to stay strong despite backlog gradually shrinking
JETNET acquires Asset Insight in latest move
FAA makes highly anticipated training announcement at NBAA-BACE
flyExclusive going public and expanding Cessna fleet
Blackhawk Aerospace completes baseline flight testing for Pilatus PC-12 engine upgrade program
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