As of April 2017, 350 were in service in 37 countries.

The Phenom 100 has an oval fuselage with a 7.985 m³ (282 ft³) passenger cabin, a 1.47 m-high by 0.74 m-wide (4.5'x2.1') door and 1.2'x1' windows. Its unpressurized cargo hold is 1.56 m³ (54.9ft³). Its structural life is 28,000 flight cycles or 35,000 hours, and it is built of 20% composite materials.

It has capacity for four passengers in its normal configuration, but it can carry up to seven passengers with a single crew, with an optional side-facing seat and belted toilet. The cabin interior is designed by BMW DesignworksUSA.

The aircraft is fitted with two rear-mounted Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617-F turbofan engines rated at a takeoff thrust of 7.2 kN (1,695 lb) to ISA+10 °C. The engines have dual full authority digital engine control (FADEC). An automatic performance reserve (APR) feature boosts engine output to 1,777 lb in the event of engine failure on takeoff. Later model PW 617 F-E models have a ten-minute thrust rating at 1,820 lb.

For more information on the development and variants, click here.

Embraer began designing the Phenom 300 after finding that potential customers of the Phenom 100 would also like a bigger aircraft. It was a new design with the aim of allowing operation to smaller airports such as London City and Telluride Regional Airport.

It first flew on 29 April 2008, and received its type certification on 3 December 2009. On 29 December 2009 Embraer delivered the first Phenom 300 to Executive Flight Services at the company's headquarters at São José dos Campos, Brazil.

On 31 January 2020, Embraer announced significant upgrades to the Phenom 300, with maximum speed increased to Mach 0.80 from 0.78 (464 vs. 446 kn), and range increased to 2,010 nmi (from 1,992 nmi). Rated engine thrust was increased to 3,478 lbf (from 3,360 lbf) on upgraded PW535E1 turbofans.

The Phenom 300 is a twin-engined cantilever monoplane with a low-positioned, swept wings. It has a horizontal stabiliser in a T-tail configuration and a retractable tricycle landing gear. It has two rear-pylon-mounted Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535E turbofan engines. The enclosed cabin has room for nine passengers and a two-pilot crew; during single-pilot operation an additional passenger can be carried. Access to the cockpit and cabin is via an airstair on the left-hand side.

In March 2019, Embraer delivered the 500th Phenom 300, claiming more than half of the light jet market share since 2012. Click here for details of the variants.

The program arose from a partnership between the Brazilian company Embraer and the Argentine FMA. The project was an advanced turboprop aircraft for its time, including advanced technology in avionics, aerodynamics, and propulsion.

The aircraft was an innovative design in that the two turbine engines were mounted on the rear fuselage similar to a Cessna Citation, but they drove six-bladed propellers in pusher configuration.

Unfortunately for Embraer and FMA, the high technology which would ensure the success of the CBA 123 was one of the reasons of its demise. The final unit cost of the aircraft — US$5 million — was too high to be absorbed by the market. Only two aircraft were produced, the third prototype (LV-X134), to be built by FMA, was stopped at 80% (est.) of building and now is stored in Argentina.

Evektor EV-55 Outback is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft designed and built in the Czech Republic by Evektor-Aerotechnik. The prototype first flew on 24 June 2011. The project's development was suspended in March 2017.

In 2004 the company announced its plan to design and construct a two-engined utility aircraft that would carry up to 14 passengers or 4000 lb (1800 kg) of cargo, and operate from unimproved fields and at high-altitude airports.

The first prototype, an EV-55M (military version), flew from Kunovice Airport in June 2011, with company pilot Josef Charvat and military pilot Maj. Jiri Hana at the controls. It was estimated at $2.1 to $2.2 million in 2012. The first production-conforming aircraft flew from Kunovice in April 2016.

In June 2018, its price was $4 million and two aircraft should finish development flights with 200 hours in 2016, for 500 total hours. Evektor secured enough investment to complete the certification process scheduled for 2017, with a minority investment from a Malaysian company backed by the country's former premier Mahathir bin Mohamad, but not to begin full production.

The project's development was suspended on 16 March 2017 due to "some uncertainties" with Evektor's Malaysian investor.

By December 2018, it was touted as a basis for an EVE-55 hybrid electric aircraft conversion to fly in 2020, with only one PT6A-21 running a 400 kW (540 hp) generator in the rear compartment, for much lower noise, an 18% fuel saving and the same payload and performance: a 3 hours endurance and 40 minutes from electric power only.

The EV-55 is of conventional high-wing utility design with a T-tail. The prototype aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21 turboprop engines (535 shaft horsepower), driving four-blade propellers. The wing is mounted atop a nearly-square fuselage, which has five windows per side. The trailing-link tricycle landing gear retracts into the nose section or pods on the lower fuselage. Expected maximum cruise speed is 220 knots (407 km/h).

With nine passengers, range is 800nm (1,480km), it can take-off in 410m and land in 520m and with more speed, range and short take-off and landing capability, it can replace ageing piston-twins like the Cessna 421 and Britten-Norman Islander, or the smaller Cessna Caravan single turboprop when the payload-range of a larger turboprop such as the L-410 or Viking Twin Otter is not needed. The less expensive, unpressurised EV-55 won't compete with the Pilatus PC-12 or Beechcraft King Air.

The 5.02m x 1.61m cabin standard layout is five and four seats with a cargo compartment separated by a semi bulkhead and a L-410 sized double door at the rear. It is equipped with a full glass cockpit, Czech firm Avia makes the four-blade propellers and Aero Vodochody the landing gear.

Number built    2 + 1 for static testing

The Metroliner was an evolution of the Swearingen Merlin turboprop-powered business aircraft. Ed Swearingen, a Texas fixed-base operator (FBO), started the developments that led to the Metro through gradual modifications to the Beechcraft Twin Bonanza and Queen Air business aircraft, which he dubbed Excalibur.

A new fuselage (but with a similar nose) and vertical fin were then developed, married to salvaged and rebuilt (wet) Queen Air wings and horizontal tails, and Twin Bonanza landing gear; this became the SA26 Merlin, more or less a pressurized Excalibur. Through successive models (the SA26-T Merlin IIA and SA26-AT Merlin IIB) the engines were changed to Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6, then Garrett TPE331 turboprops. These were marketed as business aircraft seating eight to ten passengers.

An all-new aircraft was built and named the SA226-T Merlin III with a new nose, wings, landing gear, cruciform horizontal tail and inverted inlet Garrett engines. Ultimately a stretch of the Merlin III was designed, sized to seat 22 passengers and called the SA226-TC Metro. Because FAA regulations limited an airliner to no more than 19 seats if no flight attendant was to be carried, the aircraft was optimized for that number of passengers. The standard engines offered were two TPE331-3UW turboprops driving three-bladed propellers. A corporate version called the SA226-AT Merlin IVA was also marketed and initially sales of this version were roughly double that of the Metro.

Australian operators include Sharp Airlines, Pel-Air Express and Toll Freight.

The I.A. 50 Guaraní II is an Argentine utility aircraft designed at the DINFIA (successor to the "Instituto Aerotecnico" - AeroTechnical Institute) in the early 1960s. Manufacturer:  Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA).

In the early 1960s, the Argentine state aviation conglomerate, DINFIA, realised that its IA 35 Huanquero twin-piston engined light transport was becoming outdated, and it was decided to develop a turboprop-engined derivative. While of similar layout to the Huanquero, with both aircraft being twin-engined low-wing monoplane of all metal construction with a twin tail, the new aircraft, the Guaraní, shared only 20% of the structure of the Huanquero. It was powered by two Turbomeca Bastan III engines each rated at 850 shaft horsepower (630 kW). It first flew on 6 February 1962.

The aircraft was further developed as the Guaruani II; the main difference being a single swept fin and a shortened rear fuselage. It also used more powerful (930 shaft horsepower (690 kW)) Bastan VIA engines. The fuselage was semi-monocoque with a squared cross-section, having unswept wings and swept tailplanes. The prototype Guaraní was rebuilt to this standard and flew in this form on 26 April 1963.

In June 1965 the Guarani II prototype (serial number TX-01) was exhibited and flown at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, France). TX-01 was later flown to the CEV (“Centre d’Essays en Vol”, Air Test Centre) at Istres, France, for technical evaluation, where it was tested for a total of 200 flying hours. It was flown back to the FMA, Argentina in February 1966, being the first Latin American-built aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Number built : 3 prototypes + 32 series aircraft. 

The last flying example, retired in 2006 at the II Brigada Aérea (IInd Air Brigade), at Paraná, Entre Rios, Argentina, is currently preserved at the National Aeronautics Museum ("Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica") of the Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina), at Morón, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Supported by the Australian Government, design work began in the mid-1960s, and it made its maiden flight on 23 July 1971. Despite some export sales and commercial operations, sales were not as sufficient and production stopped in 1985. The twin-turboprop, high-wing aircraft has a retractable gear and came in two variants: the initial N22, followed by the stretched N24.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, the Australian Army and the Australian Customs Service were major users. The Australian military withdrew almost all of its remaining Nomads amid reports of safety concerns during the 1990s. By the 21st century, only a handful of aircraft remained in regular use in Australia. GippsAero acquired its type certificate in 2008 and plans to produce it again as the GA18.

For more information, click here.

N22B

N22 Searchmaster

N24A

The General Aircraft Monospar was a 1930s British family of touring and utility aircraft built by General Aircraft Ltd (GAL).

In 1929, the Monospar Company Ltd was formed to pursue new techniques of designing cantilever wings, based on the work of Swiss engineer Helmuth J. Stieger, who headed the company. Helmuth John Stieger was born in Zurich in 1902 and educated at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic then the Imperial College of Science in London. While working as a designer for William Beardmore and Company, he formed his own ideas about wing design and evolved an improved method of building and stressing wings for which he was later granted a British Patent in December 1927. The principle behind this Patent No. 306,220 was that the wing needed only one spar with torsion loads resisted by an efficient system of strong compression struts with triangulated bracing in the form of thin wires. The design was revolutionary and very light for its strength.

Based on this design, The Monospar Company designed a twin-engined low-wing aircraft designated the Monospar ST-3, that was built and flown in 1931 by the Gloster Aircraft Company at Brockworth, Gloucestershire. After successful testing of the Monospar ST-3, a new company General Aircraft Ltd was formed to produce aircraft that used the new Monospar wing designs.

The first production design was the Monospar ST-4, a twin-engined low-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and folding wings for ground storage. Powered by two Pobjoy R radial engines, the first aircraft (G-ABUZ) first flew in May 1932, and was followed by five production aircraft. The Monospar ST-4 Mk.II, an improved variant with minor differences, followed with a production run of 30. In 1933, the Monospar ST-6 appeared, a similar aircraft to the ST-4 with manually retractable landing gear and room for an extra passenger. The Monospar ST-6 was only the second British aircraft to fly with retractable landing gear (the first, the Airspeed Courier, was flown a few weeks earlier). Another Monospar ST-6 was built, and two ST-4 Mk.IIs were converted. GAL then produced a developed version, the Monospar ST-10, externally the same but powered by two Pobjoy Niagara engines, an improved fuel system, and aerodynamic refinements.

The Croydon factory closed down in 1934, and a larger factory was opened in 1935 at London Air Park, Hanworth.

The Monospar ST-10 prototype (G-ACTS) won the 1934 King's Cup Air Race with an average speed of 134.16 mph. Only one other ST-10 was built, along with two similar ST-11s with de Havilland Gipsy Major engines for export to Australia. A production batch of ten Monospar ST-12 aircraft was based on the ST-11 with fixed landing gear.

For details of the 9 variants, click here.

The Gidroplan Tsikada (Гидроплан Цикада or Hydroplane Cicada) is a light, twin engined utility aircraft, seating two or four in different variants, developed in Russia since about 2000.

At different times and in different places the Tsikada or Sky Wind series has been marketed either under the company name, Gidroplan, or under its English translation, Hydroplane. The earliest Tsikada was shown in 2000 and was a high-wing monoplane, with twin engines mounted above and forward of the wing leading edge. This arrangement has been maintained through later versions. The original aircraft was a two seater with two doors, powered by 48 kW (64 hp) Rotax 582 engines. It was followed in 2007 by the Tsikada-M or Sky Wind 1, which had more powerful Jabiru engines and modifications to the fuselage and cabin, the undercarriage and the control systems.

A four-seat prototype, the Tsikada-3M, preceded a four-seat, four-door, four-window production version known as the Tskiada-4 or Sky Wind-AT, which is 400 mm (15.7 in) longer than before. The earlier flaperons were replaced with separate flaps and ailerons. The prototype finished flight trials in July 2009 and the Tsikada-4 was first flown in August, followed by production the following year.

The Tsikada has a metal wing, rectangular in plan and with small downturned tips. The engines are mounted over the wing as close together as the propeller discs allow. They, and the wing centre section are supported over the fuselage by a short cabane; a single faired strut on each side braces the wing to the lower fuselage, assisted by a jury strut. The composite skinned fuselage has one or two rows of side by side seats, each with a pair of side windows in the doors, behind a single piece windscreen. There is a baggage compartment with a maximum load of 40 kg (88 lb). Aft of the cabin the fuselage tapers, with an upswept underside, to a tall swept fin and balanced rudder. The rectangular tailplane, externally braced from above and carrying separate, unbalanced elevators with a cut-out for rudder movement, is mounted on the fin a little above the fuselage. The tricycle undercarriage has mainwheels on sprung cantilever legs and a steerable oleo sprung nose wheel. A chemical hopper with underwing spray bar and discharge chute from the central fuselage underside is an option.

Three Tsikada-Ms were supplied to Cuba, the first for anti-mosquito spraying, between 2008 and 2010. In all, six two-seat Tsikadas were built.

Variants

Tsikada
Original Rotax powered two-seater
Tsikada-M (Sky Wind-1)
Jabiru powered two-seater
Tsikada-M3
Four seat Tsikada-4 development aircraft
Tsikada-4 (Sky Wind-AT)  (Specifications below)
Four seat, Jabiru powered

The photo below (and above) is the only one found, even searching a Russian aircraft photo website. The Wikipedia page says at least 6 units have been completed.

The Gotha Go 150 was a light aircraft designed at the German company Gothaer Waggonfabrik in the late 1930s. It was intended for civilian use, but ended up being used as a military trainer. Twelve units were built.

In January 1937 Major Werner Junck, chief of the LC II, the technical wing of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium responsible for the development of new aircraft, informed various minor aircraft manufacturers such as Gothaer Waggonfabrik, Bücker, Fieseler, Flugzeugwerke Halle and Klemm that they would not get any contracts for the development of military aircraft. He therefore advised them to concentrate in the development of a Volksflugzeug or a small twin-engined plane. As a result, Gothaer Waggonfabrik developed the Go 150, while the other companies produced the Kl 105, the Si 202, the Bü 180 and the Fi 253.

The aircraft was a twin-engined monoplane with an enclosed cockpit. It was designed by Albert Kalkert, and first flew in 1937. The results of this flight were good, and production began. The aircraft was used to train both civilian and Luftwaffe pilots. The Go 150 was later also used in tests, where it was towed by a Heinkel He 46.

It first flew on August 14, 1958.

After first rejecting an idea to develop the Grumman Widgeon as an executive transport, the company studied producing an executive transport based on a turbine-powered variant of the naval utility transport Grumman TF-1 Trader. The company had already determined that any new aircraft would have to be turboprop-powered and the Rolls-Royce Dart engine was chosen. Further studies showed that the Trader-based design would not sell and they needed an all-new design with a low-wing and room to stand up in the cabin. In June 1957 the design of G-159 was finalised.

The Gulfstream I is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a semi-monocoque aluminium alloy fuselage structure. The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops with Rotol four-bladed constant speed propellers. The Gulfstream I has a retractable tricycle landing gear, with twin wheels on the two main units and the nose gear. The cabin is designed to take up to twenty-four passengers in a high-density arrangement or only eight in an executive layout, although ten to twelve was more usual. The aircraft has a hydraulically operated airstair in the forward cabin for entry and exit.

In Austrtalia, Executive Airlines operated a G-159 based at Essendon.

For more details of the development operational history and variants of the G-159, click here.

 The Cougar was a twin-engine development of the Gulfstream American AA-5B Tiger and traces its lineage to the AA-1 Yankee Clipper and the Bede BD-1.

As a development of the company's single-engined designs, Grumman American developed a twin-engined version, designated the GA-7 which it named the Cougar, in keeping with the existing Lynx, Cheetah and Tiger names for aircraft in the company's line. The prototype Cougar with two 160 hp (119 kW) Lycoming O-320 engines first flew on the 29 December 1974. 

Before production started the company was taken over on 1 September 1978 by American Jet Industries, who changed the company name to Gulfstream American. Production of the Cougar ran for only two model years, 1978 and 1979, before production was halted. Just 115 Cougars were delivered.

The Cougar is a twin-engined low-wing cantilever monoplane using a honeycomb and bonded metal construction that is the hallmark of the line since the BD-1. The prototype's single spar wing was upgraded to a double-spar configuration and this allowed a wet wing.

The Cougar is powered by a pair of wing-mounted Lycoming O-320-D1D engines of 160 hp (119 kW). It carries four people at maximum cruise speed of 160 kn (296 km/h) and a typical cruise speed of 140 kn (259 km/h). It was certified under US FAR Part 23 on 22 September 1977.

The Gulfstream G100, formerly known as the IAI Astra SPX, is an Israel Aerospace Industries-manufactured twin-engine business jet, that was produced for Gulfstream Aerospace. Deliveries began in 1986. The United States Navy employs the aircraft as the C-38A Courier. A later derivative known as the G150 was launched in 2002. Gulfstream announced the final sale of the G150 in September 2016 and the last delivery by mid-2017.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) developed the Astra from its Model 1124 Westwind business jet. Work on an improved Westwind began in the late 1970s, with the first prototype flight on 19 March 1984. The first production Astra flew on 20 March 1985, with FAA certification granted on 29 August 1985 and customer deliveries starting in 1986.

The original 1125 Astra was replaced by the Astra SP, announced in 1989; 37 were built. The third variant, the Astra SPX, flew for the first time in August 1994. This variant was renamed G100 from September 2002 following Gulfstream's acquisition of Galaxy Aerospace, which held the Astra type certificate, in May 2001.

In September 2002, Gulfstream announced the improved G150, based on the G100. This last variant features a wider (12 in) and longer fuselage (16 in aft of rear pressure bulkhead) updated avionics and an increase in maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) to 26,100 pounds (11,839 kg) compared to the G100's MTOW of 24,650 pounds (11,181 kg). It first flew on 3 May 2005 and was certified by the FAA in late 2005. It has been certified for the steeper-than-normal approach path required to land at London City Airport. IAI continued to manufacture G150s in Israel and the completed airframes were then flown to Dallas in the U.S. for interior outfitting. In September 2016, Gulfstream announced that, owing to slow sales, production would be stopped, with delivery of the final aircraft due in mid-2017.

The Astra was further developed in the 1990s; the wing was modified and mated to a completely new fuselage. This development became the IAI Galaxy (later the Gulfstream G200).

By 2018, Gulfstream G150s from 2006–2008 were in the range of $3.8 to $4.8 million.

Variants

IAI 1125 Astra
Original version, powered by two 16.46 kilonewtons (3,700 lbf) Garrett TFE731-3A-200G turbofans. A total of 32 built.
IAI 1125 Astra SP
Version with modified aerodynamics (giving 53 nautical miles (61 mi; 98 km) increase in range), improved avionics and revised interior. A total of 36 built from 1990.
IAI 1125 Astra SPX
More powerful (18.90 kilonewtons (4,250 lbf) Honeywell TFE-731-40R-200G) engines and fitted with winglets. Increased weights and range.
Gulfstream G100
marketing name of the IAI 1125 after the programme was taken over by Gulfstream Aerospace in 2001. A total of 77 Astra SPX and G100 aircraft were built.
Gulfstream G150
Improved version of G100 with wider and longer cabin, a revised nose and uprated (19.7 kilonewtons (4,400 lbf)) engines. Nearly 120 were in service in 2016

The model is designated Gulfstream GVI in its type certificate, and may be configured to carry from 11 to 18 passengers. Gulfstream began the G650 program in 2005 and revealed it to the public in 2008. The G650 is the company's largest and fastest business jet with a top speed of Mach 0.925.

The aircraft project was named the 2014 winner of the Collier Trophy, for having "strengthened business aviation through significant technological advancements in aircraft performance, cabin comfort, and safety." The G650ER is an extended-range version of the G650. The 300th was delivered in April 2018, just over five years since introduction in December 2012. The 400th was delivered in December 2019, seven years after the type's introduction.

There are three variants, the basic G650, the G650ER (Extended Range), and the G700 with a 10ft 1in extension of the fuselage. Fof full details of t he development, design and variants, click here.

Private owners of G650 models include Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Paul Allen (Microsoft), Bill Gates (Microsoft, owns 2), Elon Musk (Spacex, Tesla), Stephen Spielberg (Dreamworks) and Oprah Winfrey, among others.

The specifications below are for the basic G650 model.

Gulfstream G650

Gulfstream G650ER

Gulfstream G700 (identified by the 10 windows per side)

The Y-12 started as a development of the Harbin Y-11 airframe called Y-11T in 1980. The design featured numerous improvements including a redesigned wing with a new low drag section, a larger fuselage and bonded rather than riveted construction. It also replaced the radial piston engines with turboprops.

The prototype was followed by about 30 production Y-12 (I) aircraft before a revised version was produced. This was designated the Y-12 (II), which featured more powerful engines and removal of leading edge slats, first flying on 16 August 1984 and receiving Chinese certification in December of the following year. The power plants are two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turboprops with Hartzell propellers. The Y-12 has a maximum takeoff weight of 5,700 kg (12,600 lb) with seating for 17 passengers and two crew. The aircraft is operated as a light commuter and transport aircraft.

The latest development is the Y-12F, which is almost a new design with many improvements: new wings, new landing gear, new fuselage, with more powerful engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada and extended payload and range. The Y-12F made its maiden flight on December 29, 2010, received CAAC type certification on December 10, 2015, and FAA type certification on February 22, 2016. In 2015 Kenmore Air announced that they would begin development of floats for the Y-12 for FAA certification. The Y-12 completed the FAA evaluation flight tests for its automatic flight control system on June 30, 2018, with its performance meeting the requirements, said AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Company Ltd (AVIC HAFEI).

For details of the 11 variants, click here.

Initially designed and built by Mitsubishi, it has been further developed and updated by the Beech Aircraft Company, now part of Textron Aviation.

It was produced over 30 years under the names such as Mitsubishi Diamond/Diamond II, Beechjet 400/400A, and Hawker 400XP; military version T-1 Jayhawk was also produced. In total, over 900 Hawkers 400 have been delivered.

Since 2017, a factory-engineered and supported upgrade to Hawker 400XPR is provided, reducing fuel consumption by 16-20%, and improving range by as much as 33%.

It is a small, low-winged twin-turbofan aircraft of all metal construction, flown by a crew of two pilots and accommodating eight passengers in a pressurised cabin. Its wings use a computer designed, supercritical airfoil in order to minimise drag. Its two Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D turbofans are mounted on the rear fuselage.

For more details of the design and development, operational history and variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the 400XPR model.

In April 1981, the British Aerospace board sanctioned the programme to improve the British Aerospace 125-700 series. By May 1983 the new aircraft was ready for its first test flight.

The 125-800 series would become a sales success. From the first BAe 125 flight in August 1961 it took nineteen years until the 500th airframe was sold. In a little over five years, British Aerospace were registering the 200th sale of the 800 series.

In 1994 Raytheon (which bought Beech Aircraft Corporation in 1980) acquired Corporate Jets. The new entity being known as Raytheon Aircraft. In March 2007, Raytheon divested its aircraft manufacturing business to Hawker Beechcraft Corp., a company formed and controlled by GS Capital Partners and Onex Partners of Canada.

The last version was the Hawker 850XP, which was certified for operation in March 2006. The 850XP is identical to the 800XP except that it includes winglets, which have extended its operating range by 100 nautical miles (190 km). This version also incorporates upgraded avionics and a redesigned interior. The Hawker 850XP essentially fills the gap left behind by the Hawker 1000 when production of that aircraft ceased.

For more details, click here.

The Helio Twin Courier is a twin-engined version of the Helio Courier, with only seven examples being produced.

Known by Helio as the model H-500 this STOL aircraft mounted twin Lycoming engines on top of the high-set wing, close to the fuselage. With the engines mounted in this manner, lateral and over-the-nose visibility were much improved while the propellers were kept clear of cabin doors and away from possible debris damage during rough field operations. This was a tail-wheel design, so the vertical component of propeller thrust assisted STOL take-off performance from rough fields. In 1967 or 68, work was started on a redesign of the Twin Courier in a tricycle-gear configuration for the commercial market, since many firms which desired STOL capability had regulations which required multi-engine aircraft. The company ran out of money and the project was terminated.

The aircraft structure of the Helio Stallion, a single-engine turboprop version of the more successful Helio Courier, was based on the design of the Twin Courier.

The Twin Courier could seat six and first flew in April 1960, being awarded FAA certification on June 11, 1963. (The Twin Courier met FAA requirements marginally and was certificated to meet immediate needs for service in Vietnam, on the understanding that the design would not be marketed commercially. Thus, the redesign mentioned above.) Only seven examples were built, these receiving the United States Armed Forces designation U-5A. One was reported to have been evaluated by US Army Special Forces. Furthermore, fully automatic full-span, leading-edge slats were fitted along with high-lift flaps.

The most recognisable and unconventional feature of the aircraft is its forward-swept wing.

The Hansa Jet begun development during the 1960s, the selection of the forward-swept wing can be largely attributed to head engineer Hans Wocke, who had previously worked on the experimental Junkers Ju 287. It possessed a spacious cabin, which was achieved due to its wing design, but was a relatively heavy aircraft, posing some issues during both take-off and landing. On 21 April 1964, the prototype conducted its maiden flight. On 12 May 1965, the first prototype was lost during a test flight, killing Hamburger Flugzeugbau's chief test pilot; several design changes were made to change the Hansa Jet's stall characteristics.

The HFB 320 Hansa Jet is a mid-wing monoplane of a somewhat conventional layout, being powered by a rear-mounted twin jet engines beneath a T-tail. Constructed entirely of metal, it has a 10-seat passenger cabin and retractable undercarriage. As certified, the Hansa Jet can carry up to 12 passengers. Its General Electric CJ610 turbojet engines enabled the aircraft to achieve a maximum speed of 486 knots along with a maximum endurance in excess of 1,200 nm.[6] The decision to mount these engines far aft contributed to the relatively quiet cabin.

An unusual feature of the Hansa Jet is its forward-swept wing, which is mid-mounted in the fuselage. This arrangement provided multiple benefits, not least maximising the aircraft's speed capabilities. It also allowed the main wing spar to pass through the fuselage behind the passenger cabin, thus leaving it unencumbered by carry-through spars or similar structural elements; this choice facilitated the adoption of a longer cabin with more seats while maintaining adequate headroom in the small-diameter fuselage. As of 2019, the HFB 320 remains the only civilian jet ever to have a forward-swept wing.

For more details of the development, design and operational history of the Hansa Jet, click here.

It was designed in Japan in the late 1990s then developed and manufactured in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Its first flight took place in 2003 and deliveries commenced in December 2015.

A proof-of-concept (but not production-ready) version of the HondaJet first flew on December 3, 2003, at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. Honda approved commercial development of the HondaJet in 2004. The HondaJet made its world debut on July 28, 2005, at the annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow. At the following year's Airventure, Honda announced that it would commercialize the HondaJet.

The first flight of the first production HondaJet occurred on June 27, 2014, and it was displayed at that year's AirVenture on 28 July. Four HondaJets had test-flown 2,500 hours as of 2015. The aircraft received its FAA type certificate in December 2015 and received its European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certificate in May 2016. The HondaJet was also certified in Japan in December 2018. By October 2018, the 92 aircraft in service had logged 20,000 hours with a 99.7% dispatch reliability.

For details of the design and production, click here.

The Howard 500 is an American executive transport aircraft produced by Howard Aero Inc during the early 1960s.

During the 1950s and '60s, Howard Aero Inc. had been remanufacturing military surplus Lockheed Lodestars and Lockheed Venturas for the executive market.

While the Howard 500 bore a strong resemblance to these aircraft, it was a substantially new design, and all 500s had completely new fuselages. The only major components taken directly from its Lockheed forebears were the outer wing panels (from surplus Venturas) and undercarriage (from PV-2 Harpoons). Howard purchased wing and fuselage jigs from Lockheed to use as patterns for jigs for the new aircraft. The fuselage differed from the Ventura's in being designed from the outset for pressurisation, and the wings were designed wet. The pressurisation system maintained a differential of 46.5 kilopascals (6.75 psi) which was greater than any other prop or turboprop executive aircraft on the market at the time and maintained a sea level cabin pressure at up to 16,000 feet (4,900 m).

The engine chosen was a new, higher-power and lighter-weight version of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 that had been developed for the Douglas DC-6. Propeller hubs were taken from F4U Corsairs, four-blade propellers and spinners from DC-7s.

The Howard 500 could accommodate 10 to 14 passengers with a large window for each. Increased fuel tankage over the PV-2 Ventura gave a maximum range with full reserves of 2,600 miles (4,200 km). Maximum cruising speed was 350 mph (300 kn; 560 km/h) at 21,000 feet (6,400 m). This exceptional performance for a piston engined executive aircraft unfortunately came just as the competing turboprop designs were coming to the market, and this restricted sales of the type.

The prototype flew in September 1959, and certification was achieved on February 20, 1963. By this time, however, the executive market was already dominated by turboprop aircraft, and although its performance was comparable to (or even better than) these new machines, and its price substantially lower, the Howard 500 could not effectively penetrate the market.

Twenty-two Howard 500s were produced initially, with a further eight being converted from earlier PV-2s to virtually the same standard.

The Israeli Aircraft Industries Arava (Hebrew: עֲרָבָה, "Willow" or "Steppe" of "Desert", named after the Aravah of the Jordan Rift Valley) is a light STOL utility transport aircraft developed and produced by Israeli aerospace company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is IAI's first indigenously-developed aircraft design to enter production.

The Arava had been developed during the 1960s, during which time it was intended to be adopted in large numbers by international customers in both the military and civil markets. Its design draws some influence from the French Nord Noratlas transport plane. Both the Israeli government and IAI's management were enthusiastic to develop the Arava, seeing it as a means of advancing the country's industrial capabilities as well as a source of revenue. On 27 November 1969, the first prototype performed its maiden flight; it would be destroyed on 19 November 1970 after a wing strut failed mid-flight due to excessive flutter. This accident has been attributed as being a major setback to both the Arava's development and its sales opportunities.

According to aviation journalist and ex-IAI engineer Danny Shalom, substantial work on the development of what would become the Arava commenced right after the Six-Day War between Israel and several neighbouring nations. Prior to this point, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) had largely confined its aircraft manufacturing efforts to producing copies of existing French and American designs, such as the IAI Nesher. However, many of the company's engineers were keen to develop beyond imitation and reverse engineering effort, for IAI and Israel to produce its own unique and indigenously-produced aircraft. Around this time, the company had foresaw a requirement for a new generation of transport aircraft that would suit operations from runways only 400 meters in length. IAI had forecasted the international market demand for such an aircraft to be massive and that, by obtaining only a 20% market share, the company would sell between 400 and 600 aircraft throughout the life of the programme.

As the design took shape, key performance objectives included Short-Takeoff and Landing (STOL) capability, the ability to operate the type from unprepared/rough airstrips, as well as the carriage of up to 20 passengers or bulky payloads. The Arava featured a barrel-like fuselage, being relatively short but wide, while the rear of the fuselage was hinged and could swing open for easy and rapid loading and unloading. Its wingspan was long and the twin tails were mounted on booms that ran from the engine nacelles. It was fitted with a fixed nosewheel undercarriage to save weight, while the chosen powerplant was a pair of 715 eshp (533 kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turboprop engines. The design configuration bore considerable similarity to the French Nord Noratlas transport plane, which was already being used at that time by the Israeli Air Force (IAF).

Total number built:  103.  For further information, click here.

Powered by twin GE CJ610 turbojets, it first flew on January 27, 1963 and received its type certification on November 4, 1964, before the first delivery. The program was bought by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) in 1968, which stretched it slightly into the 1123 Westwind, and then re-engined it with Garrett TFE731 turbofans into the 1124 Westwind. The 16,800–23,500 lb (7.6–10.7 t) MTOW aircraft can carry up to 8 or 10 passengers, and 442 were produced until 1987.

The Jet Commander/Westwind was of broadly conventional business jet arrangement, with two engines mounted in nacelles carried on the rear fuselage. However the wings were mounted halfway up the fuselage instead of the typical low-wing arrangement of aircraft in this class.

In Australia, Pel-Air opereated 6 of which 4 are in aero medical configuration.

For development details, and specifications of the three Aero Commander and three IAI variants, click here.

The specifications below are for top-of-the-range 1124A Westwind II

The Indonesian Aerospace N-219 Nurtanio is a 19 passenger twin turboprop utility aircraft designed by Indonesian Aerospace.

In 2003, after the IPTN N-250 program halt, Indonesian Aerospace (IAe) wanted to develop a 19-seat aircraft to offset the IPTN NC-212 end of production. In early 2004, IAe was discussing with Malaysian aerospace companies and was estimating the N219 development at $60-80 million to fly a prototype in April 2006 and certify it in August 2007.

In 2006, the $65m funding for the 19 seat N-219 development was proposed under the Qatar-Indonesia Joint Investment Fund, funded by Qatar for 70% and by Indonesia for 30%, for a prototype within two years. In June 2011, its price was forecast to be US$4 million each and it was expected to fly in 2014.[4] The Industry Minister requested Rp59 billion to build the prototype. In January 2012, the predicted development budget was about $30 million for 15 aircraft. In August 2013, Lion Air was to sign a memorandum of understanding for 100 $4.5-5 million N219s. The total market for the N-219 was forecast as 97 civil and 57 military aircraft.

By October 2018, domestic airline Avistar signed a memorandum of understanding for 20 more while the N219 had 120 orders and was due to be certified in April or May 2019. Other customers include Lion Air, Trigana Air Service, Nusantara Buana Air, Pelita Air, Air Born and the government of Thailand. Production could begin with six aircraft in 2019, increasing to 16 in 2020 towards 36 per year in a new $90-100 million facility raised through equity participation, private-public partnerships, manufacturing subsidiaries, and joint ventures.

The Indonesian Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued a type certificate on 18 December 2020.

For  more development and design details, click here.