Private Jet Review
Global Express
The Global Express was the pioneer of ultra-long-range private jets. At the time of its release, no other private jet had a cabin nearly as large, nor could any jet make such long-range direct flights, like New York to Tokyo or Paris to Singapore. The Global Express offers everything an airliner does – range, comfort, and speed –- without the hassle.
The cabin of the Global Express is designed to be comfortable for the duration of long transoceanic flights. The cabin can be configured to hold between thirteen and nineteen passengers in a cabin that is 6.3 feet high, 8.2 feet wide, and 48.4 feet long. The cabin can be divided into three areas for conferences for increased privacy. Two fully-enclosed lavatories are in the cabin, one of which can be equipped with a shower, if desired. Extensive cabin insulation cuts down on noise and improved engines produce less audible vibration. There is a wide range of standard and optional cabin amenities, including a 17 channel satcom, fax machine, cabin entertainment system with VHS, DVD, and CD players, as well as individual video screens, and a full-sized galley.
The engines themselves are BMW/Rolls-Royce BR710A2-20 turbofans, which produce 14,750 pounds of thrust each on takeoff. The Global Express can climb to 37,000 feet in nineteen minutes. Its maximum certified flight ceiling is 51,000 feet, but it generally cruises around 42,000 feet –well above most commercial and private jets. For long-distance flights the Global Express can reach speeds of 488 knots, and reach 499 knots when cruising at high speed.
Fortunately, one of the strengths of the Global Express is its ability to fly at high speeds without sacrificing range. Its maximum range is 7,000 miles (6,100 nautical miles) at a speed of .85 Mach.
Despite the fairly high maximum takeoff weight of 95,000 pounds, the Global Express needs only 5,820 feet of runway to take off at sea level, and 7,880 feet to take off from a runway 5,000 feet above sea level.
The avionics and flight control systems were designed to be intuitive and easy to operate. Many systems require almost no input from the pilots. The cabin pressurization system, for example, automatically adjusts the cabin pressure throughout the flight. All that the pilot has to do is enter the altitude of the runway of the initial and final destinations. The cabin is rated to 10 psi, meaning it can maintain a sea level cabin while at an altitude of 26,500 feet. Engine startup is very simple as well, as is the fuel balance system, which automatically adjusts the fuel levels in the two wet wing tanks. Besides being easy to fly, the Global Express is very reliable. Most of its critical systems has two or three backup systems.
The avionics system used in the Global Express is the Honeywell Primus 2000XP suite. It has six 7 x 8 inch screens. Some screen display flight and environment information, while others are blank (to minimize distractions) except when notifying the pilots of an emergency. The avionics system comes standard with a triple LASEREF IV inertial reference system, a GPS receiver, avionics computers, nav/comm radios, and can be configured to include almost any piece of avionics equipment desired.
In short, the Global Express offers unlimited travel options. Its cabin size, range, and speed are more than sufficient for flights anywhere in the world. Other private jets can’t compare to the large-scale capabilities of the Global Express.
