Israel Aircraft Industries and Astra Jet ... - Omni Jet Trading

are flown by 34 U.S. corporate and
charter operations. Astra Jet Corporation
in Princeton, New Jersey, the
U.S. subsidiary of IAI charged with
responsibility for worldwide marketing
and product support, claims the
Model 1125 sales backlog extends
through 1992, if IAl's production rate
of one Astra per month remains
unchanged.
Powered by two 3,700-pound-thrust
Garrett TFE731-3A-200G turbofans,
the six- to nine-passenger Astra carries
a 1991 B/CA-equipped price of
$7,140,593. Its 23,650-pound max
ramp weight (24,650 pounds with a
modification) incorporates 9,365
U.S. operators (where an even 80 percent
of the worldwide Astra fleet presently
is based), B/CA found some distinct
departures from user surveys of
the past.
For example, the Astra was the first
aircraft acquired by a number of companies.
Among long-term users,
where brand loyalty has been a prominent
factor in previous surveys, only
about 25 percent of those contacted
had progressed from IAl's 1124/24A
Westwind series. For a significant
number of companies, the Astra represented
a full commitment. That is,
it was not introduced on a tentative
basis, but was an immediate replace-
Features named as best-liked include the Astra's general performance, comfort
levels in both cockpit and passenger compartments, and its soft ride.
/,.,.~ ~
pounds of fuel, which gives the aircraft
an NBAA IFR max-fuel range of
more than 2,700 nm under ISA nowind
conditions.
At the same time, note its users, the
airplane's operational flexibility,
short-field capabilities with relatively
high useful loads, climb characteristics
and Mach 0.80 to Mach 0.82
speeds make it a unique member of
the corporate aircraft fleet. Coupled
with that, most U.S. firms employing
the Astra feel that both Astra Jet and
its parent IAI have been extraordinarily
responsive to their suggestions,
complaints and needs.
DEPARTURES FROM THE PAST
In this survey of Astra users that
encompassed nearly 80 percent of
ment for an aircraft with less range,
speed and capacity.
Delivery dates of units included in
the survey ranged from late 1986
through January 1991, and total
flight hours accumulated spanned
from a low of about 150 up to nearly
1,900. As a group, the aircraft are
flown an average of507 hours annually,
from a low of250 to a high of more
than 700, over average stage lengths
of 695 nm. Positioning flights of 10 to
50 nm and mission stage lengths from
75 nm to more than 2,600 nm were
reported. Passenger number per trip
ranged from 1.2 to six, with an average
of 4.8 in surroundings most
commonly configured for seven
occupants.
Because of the Astra's reportedly
superior climb performance, most
operators said they are able to achieve
initial cruise altitudes at near-gross
of FL 370 to FL 390 without stepclimbing,
ATC permitting. Ultimate
cruise altitudes ofFL 410 to FL 430with
an occasional FL 450 certificated
ceiling reached-were achieved most
commonly on legs of more than 1,000
nm.
Remarkable uniformity in cruise
speeds of Mach 0.80 to 0.82 was
apparent for most trips of 350 nm or
more, including transcontinental
flights. Several operators note,d,however,
that at near gross under ISA­
plus conditions, steppin Ina¥---Qerequired
to achieve an altitude a1>o~e
FL 350, and speeds ay be limited to
Mach 0.76 to 0.78/until a substantial
amount of fuel has been burned.
Average fuel flo~s also were found
to be quite consistent.~F'irst-hour consumption
was calculated at 2,000
pounds. Reported second-hour rate
was 1,650 to 1,800 pounds, and thirdhour
burn was 1,400 to 1,600 pounds,
with about 100 pounds less used for
each subsequent hour. Two chief pilots
computed fuel consumption on
the basis of overall hours flown. They
put their burn rates at 1,700 and
1,550 pounds per hour, respectively.
Not surprisingly, the highest firsthour
and overall fuel burn levels were
reported by operators based in or near
Northeast Corridor airspace control
areas.
What came as a mild surprise was
that, even though the perfoqnance
profile of the Astra reportedly was
conceived to enhance its value in international
use, missions performed
by U.S. operators have been predominantly
domestic, as illustrated by the
average trip lengths. Just a few operators
acknowledged that transoceanic
travel needs were factors in their
selection of the Astra. One disclosed
that some 25 percent of his airplane's
450 hours per year are accumulated
during transcontinental trips. For
others, international travel accounted
for less than 10 percent of total flight
time.
From the standpoint of economy,
inflated fuel prices in some areas were
blamed for direct operating costs being
on average somewhat higher than
projected or than IAI estimates. It was
stressed by several of our contacts,
however, that the aircraft operating
manual itself is extremely accurate
with regard to performance parameters.
DOCs were not reported by all
respondents, but those that were
ranged from a low of $700 per hour to
Business & Commercial Aviotion.August 1991Sl