Technically There’s Already a Supersonic Bizjet and NetJets Has Bought It

Amidst the hubbub surrounding future supersonic transport these days it’s easy to forget that Canadian maker, Bombardier, busted Mach 1 with a flight-test version of its premier long-range business jet in 2021. As a result, NetJets’ plans to buy 24 copies of Bombardier’s Global 8000 gives it a supersonic hook to hang its hat on.

In May of 2021, a dedicated flight test example (FTV5) of Bombardier’s Global 7500 – modified to incorporate systems/hardware of the company’s new Global 8000 – climbed to altitude off the California coast on a blend of sustainable aviation fuel. It then leveled off and accelerated to Mach 1.015 (670 mph/1,078 kmh at 40,000 feet), making it the fastest business/commercial transport since the Concorde.

If you watch Bombardier’s video of the flight, it appears that the flight crew put the airplane in a shallow dive to gather supersonic speed which may give critics and competitors an opportunity to quibble about the company’s claim which good form would require to have been made in truly level flight. Owing to the Holidays, Bombardier has yet to clarify whether the aircraft achieved Mach 1 wings-level or with its nose down.

Still, the Quebec-based company managed to keep the flight a secret for 12 months, only revealing its claim at this year’s European Business Aviation Convention (EBACE 2022) in Geneva, Switzerland. While the revelation made a few headlines, much of the media missed its significance. Bombardier flew the test aircraft in excess of Mach 1 to officially clear it as the fastest business jet ever, an airplane with a certified top speed of Mach 0.94 (620 mph/998 kmh at 40,000 feet).

In essence, certifying the Global 8000 for Mach 0.94 operation required the test aircraft to go faster than Mach 1 Bombardier vice president of engineering, Stephen McCullough, recently explained to Aerospace Testing International. “Thinking about our demonstration of compliance, we have a normal envelope and a test envelope and as an OEM it’s our responsibility to go beyond the normal envelope.”

So FTV5 did it, proving that the nearly identical Global 8000 will be able to as well. It’s worth noting that in addition to new-build airframes, Bombardier ultimately plans to convert a significant number of existing Global 7500s to Global 8000s – that’s how similar they are. Mind you, Bombardier is not asserting that the Global 8000 is an airplane that will routinely operate at supersonic speed, near though it will be.

“It was really about showing that the analytics were good,” McCullough said. “An operational aircraft could be affected by wind or some other influence that takes it beyond Mach 0.94 and the best way to show robust compliance was to go beyond Mach 1.”

Looking out of cockpit at an F-18 Hornet chase aircraft with its afterburner lit was a bonus, McCullough acknowledged, “The entertaining part was finding a chase aircraft that could keep up and was able to provide a calibrated airspeed indication at speeds beyond Mach 1. We ended up going to NASA and using one of their F-18s.”

With all that qualification out of the way, it’s not a stretch to expect that a rarely used supersonic capability is still something NetJets – and its customers – can make note of alongside the 8000’s exceptional range when the jet debuts in 2025. The airplane will fly 8,000 nautical miles (9,200 statute miles, 14,800km) at Mach 0.85.

That opens up new non-stop flight segments from London to Perth, Singapore to Los Angeles or Dubai to Houston for example. Combined with the speed, it’s a mine’s better than yours point of pride for owners and operators.

Those who own and fly on the Global 8000 may wish to commit to memory the “comparo” which solidifies its new status as the fastest certified bizjet. The previous fastest-on-the-market claimant was Gulfstream’s G650 which was certified with a top speed of 0.925 Mach (610 mph/982 kmh). Bombardier’s greyhound is 10 mph faster they can say, holding back on mentioning its latent supersonic capability until there’s a bet at the bar.

NetJets’ late November deal with Bombardier includes a firm order for four jets (valued at $312 million), eight conversions of aircraft previously ordered, and aircraft already on order or in service. In a press release accompanying the announcement the fractional share provider said it would “also be working with Bombardier to upgrade the entire in-service Global 7500 fleet to Global 8000 jets when they begin taking delivery of its new flagship aircraft…”

And a flagship it is, right down to its circadian rhythm-based Soleil cabin lighting system which integrates with the airplane’s flight management system to produce Dynamic Daylight Simulation ambient light that can help combat jet lag.

Cruising at 41,000 feet, the Global 8000 features a cabin altitude of just 2,900 feet and boasts Bombardier Pũr Air and advanced HEPA filter technology for fast, fresh air replacement. For the up to 19 passengers and crew the cabin incorporates Nuage seating, introduced on the Global 7500, with a “zero-gravity position” helping flyers to arrive at their destinations revitalized and refreshed.

Commenting on the NetJets deal, Eric Martel, President and CEO of Bombardier, said, “The new Global 8000 aircraft is the ultimate solution for NetJets’ discerning owners, offering a truly seamless private aviation experience.”

He might have also said that in the right circumstances it can provide them with a supersonic experience. It’s a claim that ill-fated, would-be supersonic bizjet maker, Aerion, never had the chance to demonstrate. Boom Aerospace’ supersonic commercial airliner may one day offer ticket-buying passengers the opportunity if the company’s CEO, Blake Scholl, can keep pushing the project up hill.

But NetJets fractional owners and lessors could be able to boast of supersonic dashes in a couple of years – even if their Global 8000s have to go downhill to do it.