The latest in advanced air mobility designs were also showcased at the convention, including the VoltAero Cassio 330.
age of Challenger 650. The sixth-generation model is grandfathered onto a 43-year-old type certificate, making it the oldest aircraft in Bombardier’s prod- uct line. Its average long-range cruise speed is 420 ktas, while Bombardier’s younger large-cabin jets average 480 ktas or better. LIGHT-END LEADERS Embraer showed off its new Phenom 100EX and best-selling Phenom 300E. It’s gaining market trac- tion with its 3,300 nm range Praetor 500 and 3,900 nm range Praetor 600 super-midsize aircraft. In May, NetJets announced it had ordered up to 250 Praetor 500 aircraft, worth up to $5 billion, with deliveries to begin in 2025. The Praetors are value leaders in the super-mid class, the only models to offer fly-by-wire digital flight controls. Textron Aviation brought most of its production jets and turboprops to NBAA. The long-delayed
Beech Denali single-engine turboprop, now slated for certification in 2025, earned plenty of visitors. The aircraft has a forward airstair door, aft cargo door, fully enclosed aft lavatory, and Garmin G3000 touch-screen avionics, including autothrottle and emergency Garmin Autoland capability. The Denali will be the first aircraft to be powered by the 1,600 shaft hp class GE Catalyst engines, flat rated to 1,300 shp for the Denali. It’s also three years late in development and now slated for 2024, according to Melvyn Heard, president of GE Hon- da Aero Engines and the Passport Engine program. Textron and Pilatus are eying the market for 3,800 new single-engine turboprops, forecast to be deliv- ered in the next decade. That slice of the market is worth up to $26 billion. The Pilatus PC-12 NGX is Denali’s archrival competitor, and the Swiss enjoy a commanding lead in this race as it closes in on its 2,000th PC-12 delivery. Pilatus insiders tell Busi-
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