Business Jet Aircraft
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Powering on two or more fixed-wing gas-turbine jet engines, jet aircraft typically fly faster and at higher altitudes (33,000 to 49,000 feet for maximum efficiency across long distances) than piston-powered aircraft. Two men are credited with developing the concept for the first jet engine. Royal Air Force officer Sir Frank Whittle, who started work on his idea in the late 1920s at just 21, patented his concept in 1930. Germany’s Hans von Ohain, meanwhile, designed the world’s first operational jet engine, a turbojet that would power a prototype Heinkel He 178 jet aircraft in 1939.
Today, the predominant jet engine type in use are turbofans, which can travel longer distances on less fuel, make less noise, and emit lower emission levels. The Rolls-Royce AE 3007 engine series that powers Cessna Citation X and X+ and Embraer Legacy 600 and 650 business jets is an example of a modern turbofan engine.
Manufacturers of new and pre-owned business jets include Airbus, Boeing, Beechcraft, Cessna, Dassault, Embraer, Gulfstream, Learjet, and Bombardier/Challenger. Business jets generally fall into small-, medium-, and long-range models seating seven or more passengers and providing nonstop flight ranges spanning about 1,500 to 5,000-plus miles at cruising speeds topping 450 knots.