HILL HELICOPTERS HX50
Flying up that Hill
Hill Helicopters hopes to bring an “Elon Musk-style disruption” to the industry with its HX50 light helicopter.
It is not very often that a helicopter manufacturer also designs and produces its own engine. In the case of the HX50, a light luxury helicopter conceptualised for private owners, president and CEO Dr Jason Hill has done just this.
The five-seater is powered by the GT50 turbine engine, has a composite three-bladed main rotor and retractable landing gear. Inside, it includes the Hill Digital Cockpit (HDC) with a single integrated pilot interface.
The HX50 will target owners who tend to be infrequent pilots. High power reserves and robust crashworthiness are top features designed to make it easy to fly.
Although the look and feel are extremely futuristic, the aircraft has been designed over 13 years. And at about $700,000, it is cheaper than many of its competitors. Mischa Gelb, YouTuber and pilot ambassador for Hill, said: “It’s going to have much better safety and performance than anything else on the market.” First deliveries will be in 2023, once it has received certification from EASA and FAA.
A commercial version, the HC50, will be available in 2026 at about double this price tag. Retrofittable hybrid drivetrains are in the company’s roadmap. Hill said: “The only way to create something that is ground-breaking is to design from the ground up. The wait is over.”
HILL HELICOPTERS HX50
Flying up that Hill
Hill Helicopters hopes to bring an “Elon Musk-style disruption” to the industry with its HX50 light helicopter.
It is not very often that a helicopter manufacturer also designs and produces its own engine. In the case of the HX50, a light luxury helicopter conceptualised for private owners, president and CEO Dr Jason Hill has done just this.
The five-seater is powered by the GT50 turbine engine, has a composite three-bladed main rotor and retractable landing gear. Inside, it includes the Hill Digital Cockpit (HDC) with a single integrated pilot interface.
The HX50 will target owners who tend to be infrequent pilots. High power reserves and robust crashworthiness are top features designed to make it easy to fly.
Although the look and feel are extremely futuristic, the aircraft has been designed over 13 years. And at about $700,000, it is cheaper than many of its competitors. Mischa Gelb, YouTuber and pilot ambassador for Hill, said: “It’s going to have much better safety and performance than anything else on the market.” First deliveries will be in 2023, once it has received certification from EASA and FAA.
A commercial version, the HC50, will be available in 2026 at about double this price tag. Retrofittable hybrid drivetrains are in the company’s roadmap. Hill said: “The only way to create something that is ground-breaking is to design from the ground up. The wait is over.”
HILL HELICOPTERS HX50
Flying up that Hill
Hill Helicopters hopes to bring an “Elon Musk-style disruption” to the industry with its HX50 light helicopter.
It is not very often that a helicopter manufacturer also designs and produces its own engine. In the case of the HX50, a light luxury helicopter conceptualised for private owners, president and CEO Dr Jason Hill has done just this.
The five-seater is powered by the GT50 turbine engine, has a composite three-bladed main rotor and retractable landing gear. Inside, it includes the Hill Digital Cockpit (HDC) with a single integrated pilot interface.
The HX50 will target owners who tend to be infrequent pilots. High power reserves and robust crashworthiness are top features designed to make it easy to fly.
Although the look and feel are extremely futuristic, the aircraft has been designed over 13 years. And at about $700,000, it is cheaper than many of its competitors. Mischa Gelb, YouTuber and pilot ambassador for Hill, said: “It’s going to have much better safety and performance than anything else on the market.” First deliveries will be in 2023, once it has received certification from EASA and FAA.
A commercial version, the HC50, will be available in 2026 at about double this price tag. Retrofittable hybrid drivetrains are in the company’s roadmap. Hill said: “The only way to create something that is ground-breaking is to design from the ground up. The wait is over.”
DASSAULT AVIATION FALCON 10X
And so to bed ... at 41,000ft
Launched in May 2021, the Falcon 10X boasts the biggest cabin in its class and the range to match its competitors.
DASSAULT AVIATION’S new Falcon 10X can accommodate one of the biggest beds in business aviation. We know this because it has the largest cabin in its class with a cross section larger than some regional jets.
Due to enter service in 2025, the Falcon 10X, powered by two Rolls-Royce Pearl engines, the first partnership between the manufacturers, has a 7,500-nm (13,890km) range. The 10X will compete directly with Bombardier’s Global 7500, Gulfstream’s G700 and the new Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty.
A key point of differentiation is the bigger cabin. The 10X has a cabin height of 6ft 8in (2.03m) and a width of 9ft 1in (2.77m). That will make it almost 8 inches (20 cm) wider and 2 inches (5 cm) taller than the widest and tallest purpose-built business jet flying today, says Dassault. In addition to boosting passenger comfort, the cabin size and modular design offers a wide selection of interior configurations.
“Rather than four cabin zones of equal length, you can configure your cabin with different zone lengths to create customised interiors,” says Dassault. Options include: an expanded dining/conference area, a dedicated entertainment area with a large-screen monitor, a private stateroom with a fixed queen-size bed, or a master suite with a private stand-up shower.
It could prove a telling advantage. “Cabin size, both width and height, really matters and the longer range,” says Steve Varsano, founder of The Jet Business.
Don Dwyer, co-managing partner at Guardian Jet, agrees. “If you were looking for a metric to win on, size would be one of them. I think the extra cabin size is a big deal and their customer base is a big deal – Dassault is entering a really crowded marketplace.”
The market may be crowded, but at least the queen-size bed offers no such restrictions.
