NBAA 2016: Safran underscores its growing capabilities for the U.S. business aviation sector

November 2, 2016

Safran is making headlines at this year’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention in Orlando, Florida, where the company’s expanding presence on business jets in the important U.S. marketplace was highlighted on the exhibit floor and aircraft static display.

In one of the major announcements at NBAA 2016 in the Orange County Convention Center, Cessna Aircraft Company revealed that the Citation Hemisphere – its latest entry in the larger-cabin business jet category – will be equipped with two next-generation Safran Aircraft Engines Silvercrest powerplants, which produce more than 12,000 pounds of thrust each.

With Safran’s incorporation of the latest advanced, field-proven technologies, these Silvercrest engines contribute to the Hemisphere’s speed and range capabilities with their excellent performance in terms of direct operating cost, propulsion efficiency, reliability and environmental friendliness. The Hemisphere business jet’s first flight is expected in 2019.

Supporting the business aviation sector

Also starring at NBAA 2016 – in the show’s static display exhibition at Orlando Executive Airport – is Cessna’s Citation Longitude business jet, which is making a first public appearance since completing its maiden flight in Wichita, Kansas, last month.

Incorporated on the Longitude's two Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines are Safran Nacelles' patented PERT® (Planar Exit Rear Target) thrust reversers. The PERT design features two blocker doors that serve as the engine's exhaust exit during flight, and which are deployed on landing for the reverse thrust function to slow the aircraft.

With this concept, the PERT design combines thrust reverser effectiveness with an optimized weight. Safran Nacelles produces the PERT thrust reverser for numerous aircraft applications, with more than 1,200 delivered to date.

Safran group companies – including many of their operations in the U.S. – provide equipment for a large portion of the world's business aircraft fleet, from nose-to-tail and wingtip-to-wingtip. Additional Safran technologies that are being highlighted at NBAA 2016 include:

• A wide range of avionics and navigation systems (including FADEC, SkyNaute, Horizontal Stabilizer Trim Actuator, Motor Control Unit, Horizontal Stabilizer Trim Control Unit, Attitude Heading Reference Unit and Rudder Trim Actuator), as well as data acquisition and management unit Jackscrew Wheel Transmission;
  
   
• Safran Landing Systems-produced landing gear for the Bombardier Global 5000/6000 business jet;
  
   
• Super-thin electroluminescent variable display lighting, which transforms a business jet into an infinitely reprogrammable glowing canvas for images and animations; and
  
   
• Safran Power Units’ latest auxiliary power units (APUs) for the business jet market, for which new branding was announced at NBAA 2016: SPU150[DA] (new designation for the Dassault Aviation Falcon 5X APU) and SPU300[BA] (new designation for the Bombardier Global 7000/8000 APU).