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Bombardier Global 8000
Canadian Aerospace company Bombardier has achieved a major milestone as the first production Global 8000 business jet completed its inaugural flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).
The flight, which took place on May 16, 2025, tested key systems as part of Bombardier’s production flight test protocol. The aircraft took off under the command of pilot Sandro Novelli, with co-pilot Charlie Honey and flight engineer Bhargav Bhavsar. The Global 8000, the fastest business jet in the world.
The Global 8000 represents Bombardier’s next-generation advancement, evolving from the proven performance of the Global 7500. With a top speed of Mach 0.94, it is the fastest civil aircraft since the Concorde. Designed for a range of up to 8,000 nautical miles nonstop.
The Global 8000 is not only fast—it is smooth. Bombardier’s patented Smooth Flex Wing technology reduces turbulence impact.
The cabin design of the Global 8000 includes four true living zones, a private crew rest area, and the longest seated length in its class.
Cabin altitude is held at 2,900 feet while cruising at 41,000 feet—ensuring less fatigue and greater well-being for passengers.
Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation
Lancair Certified was renamed Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation in 2005 to focus on the new design. Neibauer sold the kit-build portion of the company, Lancair International, to Joseph Bartels in March 2003.
The 300 was the fastest fixed-gear aircraft in the world when it was released, but held this title only for a short period until the turbocharged Columbia 400 (Model LC41-550FG) flew in June 2000. The 400 also featured a new glass cockpit developed under the AGATE program, which Columbia refers to as the “Highway in the Sky” (HITS). The 400 was certified on March 30, 2003.
The upgrades used in the Columbia 400 were then incorporated in the original 300 design to create the Model LC42-550FG, marketed as the Columbia 350. It appeared in April 2002 and was certified on April 8, 2004.
In January 2003, Composite Technology Research Malaysia (CTRM) bought a controlling interest in Columbia for over $50 million. CTRM is owned by the Malaysian government and was incorporated in November 1990 by Minister of Finance Malaysia Inc. CTRM’s CEO is Retired Col. Rosdi Mahmud. CTRM became interested in selling its share of the company in 2006.
All of the Columbia aircraft competed heavily with similar designs from Cirrus Design, which was also developed under AGATE and included many of the same features. First to market, the SR22 outsold the Columbia models by a wide margin.
On September 24, 2007 Columbia Aircraft announced that Textron would purchase the company, which would be merged with its Cessna division, including its line of high-performance single-engined aircraft. As part of the sale agreement Columbia Aircraft was to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The arrangement would be subject to approval of the bankruptcy court and also to a final agreement with Cessna.
The fate of Columbia Aircraft was complicated on October 14, 2007 when three additional companies entered the bidding for Columbia Aircraft. These were Columbia’s competitor, Cirrus Design as well as Versa Capital Management and Park Electrochemical Corp. The two latter companies filed motions with the bankruptcy court stating that Cessna has been “getting preferential treatment in the process”. On 20 November 2007 Cirrus Design announced that they would not pursue purchasing Columbia, citing Columbia’s problems as being too serious and that resolving them would require excessive resources.
On November 27, 2007, Cessna’s parent company Textron announced that Cessna Aircraft was the successful bidder for Columbia Aircraft, that the Columbia 350 and 400 are renamed the Cessna 350 and Cessna 400 and that all existing Columbia aircraft will be supported by Cessna. Cessna paid USD$26.4M for the company and committed to investing in the current company location on the southeast corner of Bend Municipal Airport in Bend, Oregon.
On April 29, 2009, Cessna announced that it would close the former Columbia plant in Bend, Oregon facility where the Cessna 350 and 400 were built and move production to Kansas. The company laid-off all the remaining 150 employees at the Bend plant.
Cessna CSA
Cessna had announced its intentions to study the feasibility of developing and producing an LSA on 6 June 2006. The concept design was unveiled on 24 July 2006 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh as the Cessna LSA (also referred to as the Cessna Sport), via a marketing study of the feasibility of producing an aircraft compliant with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s new Light-Sport Aircraft category.
Registered N158CS, the aircraft is an all metal design with stick controls, powered by a 100hp75kW Rotax 912 engine. The cabin width is 121cm/48in.
On 13 October 2006, nine months after launching the program, the concept prototype aircraft, registered N158CS, first flew, departing McConnell Air Force Base for Wichita’s Mid-Continent Airport and reaching a speed of 110 knots (200 km/h). Cessna formally launched the Skycatcher program 10 July 2007
Cessna NGP
The Cessna Next Generation Propeller Aircraft (NGP) was a proof-of-concept design for a future family of single engine, fixed-gear, high cantilever wing, light aircraft intended for personal, flight training and commercial use.
The single flying prototype, registered N99110, was flight tested by Cessna, and first seen publicly in flight on 24 July 2006 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
The aircraft was originally introduced as the “Next Generation Piston”, but starting in April 2008 Cessna began referring to it as the “Next Generation Propeller” aircraft instead. After absorbing the recently purchased Columbia Aircraft line, now known as the Cessna 350 and Cessna 400, Cessna indicated that it was re-positioning the NGP to fit logically into its current aircraft fleet. “Our team is working on finalizing the configuration,” said Van Abel, Cessna’s project engineer for the NGP in April 2008. “We continue to evaluate features and materials that will produce a new, unique aircraft family with a potential for multiple powerplants.” This indicates that the aircraft may become turbine or diesel powered so as not to conflict with sales of the 350 and 400.
Very little information was made public about the aircraft since development began sometime in early 2005. Cessna confirmed that the NGP was designed specifically to compete with other, newer aircraft. Due to its intended role as competition for the Cirrus SR22, it was frequently referred to in the aviation press as the “Cirrus Killer”.
The NGP mock-up displayed at AOPA Air Expo 2006, in Palm Springs, California, had five seats. The aircraft was, at that time, intended be powered by a Lycoming IO-580 FADEC 320 hp (240 kW) engine controlled by a single power lever. The design mock-up had four doors with a separate baggage door on the left side, tricycle landing gear with a castering nose wheel and a forward-swept high-mounted wing of relatively small area.
Reportedly the prototype accumulated more than 20 hours of flying time between its first flight on 23 June 2006 and the fly-by at Oshkosh on 24 July 2006. During its appearance at AirVenture it was fully painted in a factory-style paint scheme and sported wheel pants. The structure was made from composite materials and aluminum, optimizing the available technology.
Cessna President and CEO Jack Pelton confirmed at AirVenture 2006 that the NGP was intended at that time to be the first of a new family of Cessna singles that would, in the long term, replace the Cessna 172 and 182 in production. Pelton also confirmed that while the prototype flew with a Lycoming powerplant, Cessna was examining alternative new technology engines as well. The prototype was exhibited at the April 2007 Sun ‘n Fun general aviation event held at Lakeland, Florida.
On 27 November 2007, Cessna purchased Columbia Aircraft from bankruptcy for US$26.4M including its Columbia 350 and 400 line, which are in the same size and performance class as the NGP. These were introduced into the Cessna line as the Cessna 350 and Cessna 400 and initially built at former Columbia factory in Bend, Oregon. In 2009, Cessna closed the Bend plant and moved production to Wichita. The introduction of the similar Columbia designs caused media speculation that this would spell the end of the NGP project, but on September 26, 2007, Cessna Vice President for Sales, Roger Whyte confirmed that development of the Cessna NGP project was continuing, regardless of the purchase of Columbia.
In January 2009, Cessna CEO Jack Pelton gave an update on current Cessna projects under development and mentioned the 162 SkyCatcher, Cessna Citation Columbus and the Citation CJ4. No mention of the NGP project was made and the project’s webpage was deleted.
On 30 March 2011, at Sun ‘n Fun Cessna President Jack Pelton was interviewed by Paul Bertorelli of AvWeb about the NGP project and he indicated that it was “inactive but not mothballed” at that time, awaiting the right engine and avionics combination.
By August 2011, the prototype was no longer on the Federal Aviation Administration registry.
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Article
Maxim 1894 steam
Sir Hiram Maxim’s aircraft of 1894 was powered by two 180 hp steam engines.
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