In the world of private aviation, an area that so few ever touch or interact with, it can be challenging not to see all executive aircraft, or those jets or turboprops owned by corporations, individuals, or organizations for transportation, as similar. However, their immense diversity of capacity, capability, and range can be genuinely mind-blowing to comprehend.
There are three primary categories of private aircraft, with various sub-categories beneath them. Small turboprops make up the bottom end of the capacity and performance spectrum. Above them are small executive jets occupying the mid-range segment (with some longer-range exceptions).
At the very top of the private aviation market are full-blown business jets, those rare aircraft manufactured by aviation titans Airbus and Boeing. In this article, each category will be analyzed.
Private Turboprops
Small, short-range private aircraft powered by propeller-driven engines are usually identifiable by one key feature: the number of turboprop engines.
The smallest of these private turboprops would be single-engined aircraft, an excellent example of which is the nine-seat Pilatus PC-12. This aircraft, despite its size, maintains some advantages of its own, such as the ability to land on gravel or dirt runways.
Moving up in size, twin-engine turboprops tend to be slightly larger than their single-engine counterparts and can often fly at a range of up to 1000 nautical miles. A good example of an aircraft that fits into this category would be the King Air 200, which maintains a passenger capacity of up to 11 passengers.
One unique thing to note about aircraft in the turboprop category, however, is that they often maintain an additional seat, as a lavatory can often double as a passenger seat with the presence of a seatbelt.
Small Private Jets
This category is what one would stereotypically think of as private jets, with sleek fuselages, T-shaped tales, and rear-mounted engines. This group of aircraft maintains an incredibly versatile array of capacity and range.
At the bottom end of the spectrum, Embraer’s Phenom 100 is built to accommodate four passengers in a standard configuration, with a range of around 1,200 nautical miles.
Another popular yet slightly larger business jet is Cessna’s Citation Excel, which maintains a capacity for nine passengers alongside a range of nearly 1,800 nautical miles.
Some jets within this category have also been configured to allow for extra long-range operations. One notable example, of course, is the Gulfstream G650ER, which boasts a 7,500 nautical mile range and currently holds a flight distance record for the private aviation industry. This kind of range allows for transatlantic operations while carrying 13 passengers.
Business Jets
At the very top of the private aviation market are full-blown executive versions of Boeing and Airbus’s top-selling aircraft. Just one look at the ACJ350, Airbus’s corporate version of the Airbus A350, demonstrates a level of luxury many cannot imagine.
With a capacity for over 75 passengers, including the VIP’s staff, family, and friends, the aircraft can fly a mind-boggling 11,000 nautical miles, allowing the jet to efficiently carry high-profile individuals anywhere around the world in style.
However, these jets are the rarest, and many of these corporate aircraft are owned by governments for executive transportation, large companies, and even some sports organizations.
Source: simpleflying.com