GKN Aerospace is no newcomer to business aviation, but it comes to NBAA 2016 confident of gaining new business and leveraging its vast experience on various airframes. In business aviation, GKN Aerospace manufactures business jet empennages for the Citation CJ3 and CJ4, HondaJet, G550 and G650 and Falcon 5X and it also manufactures wing structures for the Falcon 7X, 8X and 5X.
The company also was selected to manufacture the complete composite fuselage for the HondaJet, and it produces G650 floor and fuselage panels. Additionally, it is involved in business jet conversions through its Fokker subsidiary in the Netherlands.
Showcased at GKN’s NBAA booth (3290) is a panoramic window designed for airliners. The windows measure five-feet long by 1.65-feet high and include a demisting capability, as well as GKN’s Crystal Vue II coating. Also being shown is a fuselage panel based on a thermoplastic grid–a welded, boltless assembly that offers a 10-percent reduction in weight and 30-percent lower manufacturing cost.
“As the business jet market continues to strengthen globally, and particularly in the large aircraft category, the industry is also experiencing a period of extraordinary technological innovation,” said Daniele Cagnatel, GKN Aerospace’s senior v-p of business development and strategy. “Our display at NBAA illustrates just some of the new and maturing technologies that will extend the endurance, efficiency and performance of business jets.”
