Bombardier has selected four additional suppliers for the new Global 7000 and 8000 business jets. The companies join General Electric Aviation, which will provide the integrated propulsion system to the aircraft.
First, France’s Aerolia will design and manufacture the center fuselage. The contract is the first major external order win for the EADS subsidiary.
Hamilton Sundstrand will provide the electrical system, auxiliary power unit and wing high-lift system, while Zodiac Aerospace’s subsidiary Intertechnique will supply the fuel, fuel inerting and oxygen components. Wayne, Pennsylvania-headquartered Triumph Aerostructures will design and manufacture the high-speed transonic wings, which feature canted winglets, internal flap tracks and a straight leading edge.
“The wings will have better aerodynamic efficiency thanks to an improved wing weight area ratio, and will have spoilers, flaps and slats,” said Bassam Sabbagh, Bombardier’s vice president and general manager for the Global 7000 and 8000 programs.
Bombardier has elected to maintain some parts of the design and manufacturing process in house, since several components will have a high degree of commonality with its existing Global family.
“Montreal will do the front, Mexico will do the rear, and Belfast other components, but we might juggle things around a bit as time goes on,” explained Sabbagh.
Both new jets will feature Bombardier’s Global Vision flight deck technology and will have larger cabins and an extended range over the OEM’s existing flagship products. “The 7000 will be able to cater for any key city pair in the world,” concluded Sabbagh.
The next-generation 16,500-pound-thrust GE engines powering the aircraft will have a single-piece 52-inch-diameter metal fan blisk, the first featured on an engine powering a business aircraft. Bombardier is expecting to see a 50-percent reduction in nitrous oxide emissions over today’s ICAO recommendations. He also said that the 7000 is slated to have 14-percent fuel savings over the 5000 and the 8000 would be 18 percent more fuel-efficient than the smaller jet.
In preparation for the advent of the new aircraft, Bombardier last week announced that in the future the Global Express XRS would be known as the Global 6000, to harmonize the family nomenclature.
