LegacyDriver said:
The Legacy will still outcycle a V
Of course it will, because it needs nearly 3 fuel stops for every one fuel stop the G-V needs... Those cycles will add up! And yes, the G-450 (improved G-IVsp) will go directly to FL410 at MGTOW and will go 1,350 NM further (Nearly 3 hours longer at Mach 0.80) than the Legacy (while using less runway)... The G-550 will also go directly to FL410 at MGTOW and go over 3,750 NM further than the Legacy (thats over 8.1 hours longer!)...
The G-450 needs 5,450 ft of runway to go 4,350 NM at Mach 0.80
The Legacy needs 5,700 ft of runway to go 3,000 NM at Mach 0.80
The G-550 needs 5,910 ft of runway to go 6,750 NM at Mach 0.80
LegacyDriver said:
Range: I flew a Legacy 8 hours from liftoff to touchdown and was not even remotely concerned about fuel when I landed.
According to the Embraer web site, at
Mach 0.74 the Legacy can go 8:02 and then you are at NBAA Mins on fuel... So at 8 hours, you should have been concerned about fuel... Not to mention that the G-450 could have done the same 3,200 NM leg at Mach 0.85 (6+56 hours) or the G-550 could have done it at Mach 0.87 (6+45 hours)... So when your passengers are twidling their thumbs for an extra 1+17, the competition is already at the meeting selling the customer their product... But hey, you saved a few million on the plane, what's it matter if you lose a $500 million contract?
Both of the Gulfstreams would have needed less than 5,000 ft of runway to complete that 3,200 NM leg (the G-550 probably would have been closer to 4,000 ft runway required!), whereas the Legacy would have needed 5,700 ft... How much further would the passengers have to drive to get to their Legacy parked at an airport with a 5,700 ft runway vs. the G's who are at airports with 5,000 ft? A LOT of airports we utilize have max runway lengths of 5,000 ft... Anytime I am somewhere with more runway than that, it feels like a luxury!
LegacyDriver said:
Thus it can be argued that the Legacy is one of the STRONGEST biz jet fuselages in the business.
I have never seen a picture of a Gulfstream or Falcon with its fuselage broken and it's tail dragging on the ground... But I have seen a picture of an EMB-Jet with that problem... Strong, eh? Give me a break...
On the other hand, the EMB seems to make a pretty good airliner... The Gulfstream and Falcons would make terrible airliners... Purpose built aircraft should remain in the catagory they were built for... You don't see many BBJ's around, mainly because it makes for a pretty poor Corporate jet, just like you don't see any G-550's parked at Gate G6 at ORD...
Oh and as far as GVFlyer... The guy knows his sh!t... No doubt about it...