Sukhoi Business Jet takes shape

Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company continues work on the business version of its Superjet 100 regional airliner. Sukhoi Business Jet (SBJ) deliveries should start in 2014. The key differences from the Sukhoi Super Jet 100/95LR baseline include extra fuel cells in the cargo hold, integrated airstairs, and a sitcom system.

SCAC presentation revealed at the RUBAA conference at Gidroaviasalon 2012 earlier this month says that three main variants will be available: VIP (eight passengers), ministerial (19) and corporate (38).

The VIP variant will have a range of 7,880 km (4,250 nm), against 7,415 km (4,000 nm) for the ministerial and 6,450 km (3,500 nm) for the corporate version. All three will have a maximum cruise speed of M0.81 and a maximum operating altitude of 12,190 m (40,000 ft).

Thanks to the baseline aircraft’s five-abreast economy seat layout, the SBJ cabin is wider than any clean-sheet business jets and even some corporate models based on regional passenger airliners. The largest-cabin business aircraft designed from scratch, the Gulfstream G650 and Bombardier Global 6000, offer a cabin volume of 60.54 cu.m. and 60.60 cu.m., respectively. Bombardier is planning two more Global models, to enter the market in 2016 and 2017. Whereas the Global 8000 will have a slightly bigger cabin volume at 63.32 cu.m., the Global 7000’s cabin is going to measure 74.67 cu.m. Embraer’s E-190-based Lineage 1000 has a cabin volume of 115.67 cu.m. The SBJ however will be even more spacious than that, at 118.7 cu.m. Only the Boeing Business Jet and Airbus Corporate Jet can offer greater cabin space.