Orders for the new Galaxy business jet "are well along to a two-year backlog by the time we certify the aircraft in December," according to Brian Barents, president of Galaxy Aerospace Corp., which will build the 18-passenger aircraft in Alliance, Texas.

"The momentum is building as we speak," he told Show News. Barents would not disclose actual numbers, but pointed out that the Galaxies will roll out of the Alliance plant at the rate of 18 per year by the end of 2000.

Flight testing of the Galaxy is going so well that the Number Three aircraft in the test program will take time off from its duties at Tel Aviv to make its debut here at the NBAA convention. "This is the first public display of the aircraft in the United States," Barents pointed out.

Galaxy Aerospace was formed as a United States corporation in February 1997 to produce, market and support the Galaxy; its partners include the Pritzker family of Chicago, and Israel Aircraft Industries, which produces the Astra SPX transcontinental business jet. IAI designed the Galaxy and is responsible for flight testing and certification; Galaxy Aerospace provides the funding for development, production, and setting up of a worldwide service network.

The Galaxy, which lists for $16.9 million in 1999 dollars, IFR-equipped with interior, has logged more than 400 hours in more than 150 flights. The second aircraft is being used for performance testing and certification work, and is fitted with gap seals and fairings that were not incorporated on the prototype. To date it has flown up to Mach 0.93, and 46,000 feet.

Barents said that customers typically like the aircraft for its range, by carrying four instead of 18 passengers, and making up the difference with fuel, it can fly more than 3,600 nm with IFR reserves.

While some two-thirds of business aircraft orders usually come from the U.S., Barents has noted a shift in demand for the Galaxy. "About 40 percent of our commitments are from outside the U.S., perhaps because of its range," he said. He sees Europe as having "tremendous potential," and disclosed that Galaxy is currently designing interiors applicable to a head of state aircraft. The Israel connection does not seem to have hampered interest, and Galaxy is currently in several competitions in the Middle East, he added.

Barents sees his biggest challenge as building a support network for the Galaxy, as the market still remembers the days when that was not the strong point of the SPX business aircraft. "We are in the process of putting that in place," he said.

IAI, meanwhile, in August delivered its 100th Astra, to Jeld-Wen of Klamath Falls, Oregon, the fourth Astra owned by that company.

By John Morris