10 Things You Didn't Know About the Bombardier Global 7000

When you think of business jets, you probably think of a Falcon or maybe a Learjet. Perhaps you don't really know the names of these aircraft, yet you think of a relatively small aircraft when someone mentions a private jet. In most cases, that would be a correct assumption. However, in the case of an aircraft like the Bombardier Global 7000, that assumption might be slightly off. The first thing you're likely to notice when you see this aircraft is that it's a lot bigger than most business jets. While it certainly can't compete with commercial aircraft, it's capable of seating far more individuals than your typical Falcon. If you're interested in aircraft, you might also be interested to know 10 more things about this remarkable plane that most people don't know.

1. This truly is a new aircraft

If you had the chance to see one of these aircraft, consider yourself lucky. It's been in development for several years now but it's just recently becoming available. As is the case with most aircraft development projects, this one took longer than expected. In fact, the first aircraft of its type was not sold until this year and won’t be available for service for several more months..

2. It's designed for very long flights

This is not the type of business jet that you would hop on in order to fly to a neighboring state. It's designed to fly extremely long distances, allowing business professionals to have faster access to offices around the globe without having to deal with commercial air travel or constantly landing in order to get fuel.

3. The project is still under development

Although the first aircraft were sold earlier this year, this is not a project that has been completed by any means. It's not uncommon for aircraft manufacturers to sell airplanes to individuals before that airplane is completed. Such is the case with the Global 7000. It should have been completed before now, but certain developmental delays have caused the project to be pushed back. Delivery of the aircraft is set for sometime later this year.

4. It first flew almost two years ago

The first test flight for this airplane was almost two years ago, occurring in the late fall of 2016. This is not really all that uncommon in the aviation industry, as there are a lot of things that have to be worked out from the time an aircraft first takes to the skies to the time it's developed for sale.

5. It's expensive

There is nothing about any aircraft that most people would consider cost-effective, especially when it comes to business jets. With that being said, this one still carries a staggering price tag of $72 million per aircraft. Obviously, it is not for the casual business traveler.

6. It might look familiar to you

If, upon seeing this particular aircraft, you think it looks familiar, it might be because it's actually based on the Global 6000. The two main differences between these aircraft is that this is a larger version that offers more seats and it has a different wing. Aside from that, the fuselage of the aircraft is very much the same.

7. It's one of the largest private business jets around

At a length of 111 feet, this is one of the biggest private jets you're likely to see. In addition, it's designed to have a crew of four on board and can carry 19 additional passengers.

8. It's almost a supersonic aircraft

Any airplane that can achieve the speed of sound is considered to be a supersonic aircraft. In aviation terms, this means that the aircraft can achieve a speed of at least Mach 1, the speed of sound. This one doesn't quite make it there, but it does come close. Tests reveal that it's capable of a top speed of approximately Mach .925. In other words, it's capable of traveling to its destination without wasting any time getting there.

9. The aircraft has been thoroughly tested

No less than five prototype aircraft have been built and among those five airplanes, more than 20,000 hours of test flights have been conducted. Obviously, this is an aircraft that has been well tested and documented, just as most people that know anything about Bombardier’s reputation would expect.

10. It carries a lot of fuel

Since this aircraft is designed for longer flights than most business jets, it has to carry a lot of fuel. In fact, it carries slightly more than 47,000 pounds of fuel. That sounds like enough to practically fly around the world, but you have to remember that it's also capable of exceptionally high speeds, which will easily burn that fuel at a rapid rate.