Although introduction of Fairchild's new 328JET and planned 728JET transport families has transformed the regional airline market, the excitement is only beginning, according to Jim Robinson, president of Fairchild Aerospace. The two aircraft types also are experiencing strong demand for business jet and corporate shuttle roles.

Although regional aircraft manufacturers traditionally have offered corporate versions of their transports, sales have been paltry. Not so with the new Fairchild line, Robinson says. Indeed, one out of every 10 Dornier 328 turboprop versions sold is going into corporate shuttle service. To date, nearly 20 percent of the 63 orders for the newer jet-powered model, called the 328JET, are in the Envoy 3 business jet configuration, he said. All told Fairchild Aerospace has sold 12 Envoy 3s "without even showing an interior," Robinson said.

That shortfall will be corrected here at this year's National Business Aviation Assn. annual exhibition. Fairchild Dornier, the result of the June, 1996, joining of Metro-maker Fairchild and Germany's Dornier, plans to showcase its product line with a 328JET on the static display line. It is on loan from avionics flight testing in Phoenix with Honeywell. There also will be a 10-seat Envoy 3 corporate interior mock-up, complete with credenza, in the exhibition hall. Normal corporate configuration for the aircraft is from eight to 12 passengers.

Fairchild's floor display, however, is dominated by a 20 ft.-section of its planned 728-based Envoy 7 business jet. It's aimed at showing a cabin that's got twice the space of a Gulfstream IV at approximately the same price. Official kickoff of the Envoy 7 program, including first offer of the aircraft for sale, will be one of the high points of Fairchild's show, Robinson said.

The business case behind the Envoy 7 is simple, according to Robinson. "Look at what Boeing did with the [larger] BBJ and why they did it." Similarly to the BBJ, Fairchild will offer "the most spacious cabin in its class" with cost and performance competitive to the Gulfstream IV. Other advantages include improved short field performance and built-in regional airliner ruggedness, maintenance simplicity and reliability, he said. The Envoy 3 and Envoy 7 can be likened to dependable workhorses, "not a high-strung" racehorse, he said.

Even though corporate versions of regional airliners have not done well in the past, the market is changing and demand increasing, Robinson said. The advent of time-sharing, or fractional ownership, allows businesses to more economically tailor annual jet use to their needs while avoiding flight department overhead. Today's corporations also are increasingly treating business aviation just like airline travel in meeting their personnel transportation needs. The BBJ "is leading the charge" in offering efficient business aircraft with spacious onboard cabins and work areas, he said. The Envoy will slot into the niche directly below it.

Although exact details are still being worked out, the Envoy 7 should have a price tag "in the high $20-million's" with a fuselage width of 128-in., five inches more than the Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD-80 transport. Exact seating capacity will vary according to customer. The regional airline version of the Envoy 7 will seat 75, so there will be plenty of room for innovative interior layouts.

Range is set at slightly over 4,000 naut. mi. under NBAA IFR standards. The company is hoping to extend that even further, Robinson said. Envoy 7 speed "will be similar to the Gulfstreams and Falcons" at about Mach 0.80 to 0.82., he said. The 728JET family will be powered by the GE CF34-8D turbofan.

Paving the way for the Envoy 7 will be first deliveries of the $13-million Envoy 3 in May. "We're not out to replace every Gulfstream or Hawker," Robinson said. However, for about $1-million over the cost of the Hawker 800, the Envoy 3 customer can get twice the cabin of the Gulfstream IV and a range of up to 2,000 nm in instrument conditions. Today's typical business aircraft stage length averages 400-naut. mi., Robinson said. Due to the Envoy 3's quicker climb capability, it can equal the block-to-block time of just about any business aircraft for the first 300-nm, he said.

As Fairchild sees it, flight departments will retain Gulfstream IVs and similar "heavy metal" business jets for long-range missions and high-profile passengers. However, the Envoy 3 can replace much of the mid-size fleet from the Hawker on down, carrying twice the passengers at a competitive price tag. Operating costs of the PW306-powered Envoy 3 will only be slightly higher, a minor difference in the 2,500-hr. annual use corporate world, Robinson said.

By Paul Proctor