Has Its 400XT Bizjet On Display At NBAA Static

Nextant Aerospace has its 400XT on display at the 65th NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando, FL this week. Among the developments being showcased at this year’s NBAA will be Nextant’s new raked winglet, which provides improved performance, both while climbing and during high-speed cruising at altitude. The winglets, the first of their kind on a business jet, are expected to be certified by the end of the first quarter of 2013.

"When we displayed at last year’s NBAA in Las Vegas, the 400XT had just received final FAA certification,” said Kenneth C. Ricci, chief executive officer of Nextant Aerospace. “Since then, the market’s reception of the 400XT has been incredible. By the end of this year, we anticipate delivery of 25 aircraft, and will enter next year with a sales backlog valued in excess of $175 million. The current order book includes firm orders to six different countries, with 40 percent of our total sales occurring internationally. We are looking forward to showcasing an even more advanced 400XT at this year’s event.”

The winglets’ unique design and carbon fiber construction minimize additional wing loading, while maximizing the overall aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft. They also feature all-new, low maintenance LED lighting, replacing a heavier strobe lighting system, which further decreases weight. The winglets will be a standard feature on the 400XT going forward, and all 400XTs that have been delivered to date will be retrofitted.

Due to the ever building marketplace demand for the 400XT, Nextant has acquired, and just completed its move into a new 125,000-sq.-ft. remanufacturing facility in Cleveland. The facility features a large production hangar which can handle six aircraft lines simultaneously, a second hangar for aircraft delivery and completions and a third which will house the company’s aircraft painting operation. The facility more than doubles the company’s space and will support an increased annual product rate of up to 48 aircraft to meet the higher-than-projected demand. As production continues to grow, the company plans to increase its employee base – which now stands at 160 workers – by roughly 20 percent in the coming months.

FMI: www.nextantaerospace.com