Breaking: Bombardier jumps the gun, unveils Global 7000 & 8000 (Update1)

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EN-BA-GlobalFamily_800.jpgBombardier kicked off NBAA 2010 with by preempting its own Monday announcement by unveiling its new Global 7000 and 8000 large-cabin business jets. There has been significant Industry buzz around the new jets, which were first believe to have prompted the Canadian airframer to reveal the details around its largest business aircraft two days ahead of its planned October 18 press conference in Atlanta.

Bombardier says its October 16 release was not moved up due to any outside speculation, rather it was “always the plan to issue the news and start an interaction with journalists.”

The family of aircraft, the Global 7000 and 8000, grows the company’s existing Global Express XRS and Global 5000 products with a new high-speed transonic wing. The Global 7000, which is the larger of the two aircraft features a high-speed mach .90 cruise or a 7,300nm range at mach .85. The aircraft, Bombardier claims, features a 20% larger cabin than the “current market leader”, which Bombardier says is its Global Express XRS. The Global 7000 will be the first of new pair to enter service in 2016.

The Global 8000, a designation that appears to correspond to its 7,900nm range at mach .85 and features a similar high-speed cruise. The cabin of the 8000 is around 19% larger than the Global 5000, which will remain as a product offering along with the Global Express XRS. The aircraft is set for entry into service in 2017.

The aircraft also sport windows that have 80% more surface area than the current Global family. Bombardier says the General Electric TechX engine with 16,500 lbs of thrust and is the first aircraft to be powered by GE’s new family of engines.

Photo Credit Bombardier

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This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.