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On the Record with
BRIAN BARENTS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GALAXY AEROSPACE CORP.
Galaxy Backlog to Reach Two Years
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 No. 4 aircraft (actually the second one in the test program) could take time off from its duties at Tel Aviv to make its Farnborough debut. "This is the first public display of the aircraft outside Israel," Barents pointed out.
Galaxy Aerospace was formed as a U.S. 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 nmi 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%
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 Jeldwen of Klamath
Falls, Oregon-the fourth Astra owned by that company. By John Morris
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