Recently in Dubai Air Show 2009 Category

This last daily wrap up from Dubai is a tad belated due to some late network issues. We also had to record this one a bit earlier on Tuesday because of some time constraints, so we didn't get the full skinny on the orders announced during the day. That being said, I'm back safe and sound on the East Coast! Thanks everyone for a very memorable week!

DUBAI -- Cessna handed over the keys of the first Middle Eastern Citation X fitted with elliptical winglets to Wallan Aviation here at the Dubai Air Show.

Saad Wallan, chairman of Wallan Aviation says the aircraft, with its range extending blended winglets, allows for non-stop travel between Riyadh and London at the Citation X's signature high-speed cruise at Mach .92.  

The newly introduced winglets add a 15kt boost in cruise speed and 545kg more payload at hot and high airports, as well as a 280 km (150nm) increase in range.

Along with a reduced time to climb, Cessna says the winglets also reduce fuel consumption by 4-5% for long range missions.

With Sunday's delivery to Wallan, the aircraft will immediately enter service following the show.

Wallan Aviation operates a fleet of Cessna aircraft and is the company's authorized sales representative and authorized Citation Service Center in the Middle East.

The US Federal Aviation Administration certified the retrofit of the winglet for the Citation X in June and includes the replacement of the existing anti-collision and position light system with LED versions.

As a previous order holder for the super midsize Columbus business jet that was cancelled by Cessna in July, Wallan says that even with the downturn that sidelined the new aircraft, his company has found a silver lining that has made the substitution of the Citation X ideal.

Wallan says that his company has benefitted from the downturn, in that previous operators of large-cabin BBJ and Gulfstream aircraft have opted for a smaller aircraft like the Citation X for their travel needs.

Wallan says that the dust has now settled following the sharp downturn in business jet travel, adding that the Dubai Air Show represents a barometer for the industry.

"We have a lot of faith in this show to show us the direction," says Wallan.

DUBAI -- Boeing's vice president of marketing, Randy Tinseth outlined development milestones for the company's 787 and 747-8 programs today in Dubai.

The company announced earlier today the completion of the installation of the wing fix on its 787 static aircraft - ZY997 - and ZA002, the second of six flight test aircraft.

Tinseth says restoration operations are underway to refit access doors, systems, seals and fasteners on ZA001 and ZA002 in preparation for flight, while ZY997 is being refitted with strain gauges and instrumentation required for testing.

The company reaffirmed its plan to test the design of the modification on the static airframe later this month, and plans to fly ZA001 by the close of 2009.

Meanwhile, Tinseth announced that RC501, the first 747-8F which recently moved to the paint hangar is 98% complete, with the second and third 747-8F flight test aircraft 93% and 86% completed, respectively.

In addition, Tinseth says has passed 87% of engineering released on the company's new 747-8 Intercontinental passenger jet and has completed the critical design review phase.

Gulfstream remains focused internally as speculation churns on a potential competitor to the company's ultra long-range G650 business aircraft.

"We have about 200 [G650 aircraft] sold and that's our market. We are much more focused on us and bringing products to market...than anything else," says Larry Flynn, Gulfstream senior vice president marketing and sales.

Bombardier is widely believed to be quietly developing a replacement for its large cabin Global Express XRS and competitor for Gulfstream G650.

Gulfstream launched its flagship G650 in March 2008 and recently rolled the aircraft out in September.

"We think we have an airplane that has effectively developed a new market at the top end of the business aircraft market, it has been extraordinarily received and now we need to deliver," adds Flynn.

Programme sources tell FlightBlogger that the aircraft has been recently undergoing low-speed taxi tests at the company's Savannah, Georgia facility.

Flynn declined to comment on any specific tests, but said "If you're at the airport in Savannah, you may see it on the runway" adding that aircraft is on track on meet its first flight target by the close of the year.

DUBAI -- Airbus will offer fuel-saving winglets on its A320 family aircraft beginning in 2012.

The specially designed 'sharklets' will provide a 3.5% fuel burn savings on routes longer than 1500 nm. Air New Zealand will launch the new sharklets at the end of 2012 as part of its recent order for A320 aircraft. Airbus says the A321 and A319 will follow in 2013. Airbus has not yet decided if it will offer the winglet on the A318.

Airbus claims the winglets will offer a boost of 110 nm in range or a payload increase of 500 kg or about 2 passengers.

The winglets will not be offered as a retrofit, but Airbus says it is working with Aviation Partners to provide a simpler design on existing A320 aircraft.

DUBAI -- It feels like just yesterday I was arriving in Dubai for my first day of work with Flight. Two years around the horn and I'm back for another go at the Dubai Air Show. Needless to say, the world (and this city) has changed much in the past two years. The 2007 show saw a staggering number of orders as backlogs exploded, pushing Airbus and Boeing towards record bookings.

Late 2007 saw mega orders for Boeing and Airbus by Emirates and DAE, while Bombardier selected the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan for CSeries, 787 first flight was scheduled for February 2008, United and Delta were in merger talks, 747-8F roll-out had slid and just one A380 had been delivered to Singapore Airlines.

What a difference two years makes.

The global economy is struggling to free itself from grips of recession, while the Middle East appears poised to lead the rest of the world out of the downturn. This region is an economic barometer for the rest of the planet, though it remains a widely discussed open question as to whether or not regional ambitions will become a reality.

Follow the latest on the Dubai Air Show on Flightglobal.com and Twitter.

Airbus
The European airframer is expected to live up to its M.O. of saving order announcements for air shows. Likely customers include Ethiopian (A350), DAE, Emirates (A330, A350, A380) and Vietnam (A380). Other big show questions for Airbus include: What's the latest on A350 development? Also, what about those A320 winglets?

Boeing
Like the Paris Air Show, Boeing will likely remain quiet on the commercial side, with the real action happening 9000 miles away in Puget Sound with 747-8 and 787. On the defense side, the show is likely to be busy with potential fighter orders. Keep a close eye on The DEW Line and @thedewline for the latest defense coverage here at Dubai.

Embraer
The Brazilian airframer is busy here at the show working both angles of its civil business. The company has brought its Lineage 1000 and Phenom 100, and is widely rumored to have several order announcements in the pipeline from Middle Eastern customers for its E-Jets. 

Bombardier
CSeries is at the forefront of Bombardier's show strategy as the company plans to meet with "over a dozen" Middle Eastern airlines to sell the new narrowbody. An order could be up Bombardier's sleeve, however the magic eight ball is quite cloudy on this one. Also, I'll be chasing the latest on the M-170, Bombardier's G650 competitor.

Gulfstream
Let's just put it this way - I'm on first flight watch for G650. Low speed taxi tests took place on 12 Nov in Savannah pushing T1 to about 20-30 knots, but the tests are indicative of a rapidly approaching maiden flight for the company's ultra long-range flagship.

Wild Cards
Latest on Sukhoi Superjet? China's Comac 919? Mitsubishi's MRJ? Unexpected comments, orders, etc. Like any good air show, you begin with one plan for the show which quickly gets torn up in the first five minutes. The only thing predictable here is the unpredictable.

Required Reading:

• Overview and show preview: Middle East sets course for economic recovery
• Business aviation bounces back: Joining the new jet set
• Dubai's expanding airports: The sky's the limit
• Jordan aims high: Oasis of enterprise
• Royal Jordanian's strategy: Linking the Levant
• A low-cost spy in the sky: Security on a budget
• Training the region: Alya Aviation Academy takes off at Aqba
• Gulf's ambitious network carriers: Flying the flags
• Budget carriers cause a ripple: Low-cost challenge
• Bahrain and Oman fly solo: Out of the shadows
• UAE stockpiles weapon systems: Building an arsenal
• Saudi Arabia's military muscle: Robust Riyadh
• Iraq gathers arms for 2012: Starting from scratch
• NATO-like coalition takes shape: Fractious friends
• US aid for Israel's neighbours: Border security

DUBAI -- Bombardier appears to be closing in on a new ultra long-range business jet to rival Gulfstream's G650 and replace the company's Global Express XRS.

The new clean-sheet project, says one source familiar with the program, is code named the M170.

Bombardier declined to comment if the M170 was, in fact, the company's new ultra long-range business jet, however the a recent increase in listings in support of a non-descriptive "M170 program" have begun appearing on Canadian job websites.

In response to an inquiry about the M170 designation, the company chose only to say, "We are involved in a number of R&D projects."