Grob SPn Very Light Jet

Le VLJ de Grob, SPn pourrait renaitre sous un autre nom avec l'appui de l'entrepreneur Niall Olver, ancien distributeur Bombardier et actionnaire de Grob

Sur Flight :

The [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] SPn light business jet could be resurrected under a new name by the end of the year if
discussions with an established airframer to take over development of seven-seat twinjet come to fruition.

Niall Olver, Grob's former chief executive and shareholder, who is leading the initiative to put the all-composite aircraft back into production, says he is in "active dialogue and due diligence" with a couple of original equipment
manufacturers that are interested in developing the SPn and adding it to their product stable.

"The aim is to give an OEM the lead in the programme and they will be supported by a syndicate of private investors," says Olver, who is also chief executive of international business aviation services provider ExecuJet.

The SPn programme was halted last year when the company's major investor pulled out of the venture - subsequent attempts to raise investment for the programme failed and Grob was declared insolvent the following November.

While Germany's H3 Aerospace relaunched the old Grob Aerospace training aircraft business under the name Grob Aircraft, the largest creditor retains the assets to the SPn,

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"Having an OEM on board has huge advantages - the people and infrastructure are in place to support the programme, it removes many if the inherent risks of setting up a manufacturing company and it also gives customers and the wider market confidence in the product."

Olver says the critical design review that was undertaken before insolvency proved that the aircraft provides great value for the customer at the €5.9 million ($8.7 million) price point. "We know the SPn is incredibly well placed in the market and despite the economic downturn there is still a great deal of interest in the product and we plan to recreate our original market share."

He adds: "Perversely the recession has happened at a good time. Hopefully, when the aircraft is ready to enter market in three to four years from now, the marker will be in full recovery."

Olver says there is still work to do to before the design can be frozen. "The aircraft has to lose 240kg [530lb] of weight and undergo natural ice testing," he says.

Around €150 million is needed over three years to bring the aircraft to market, "but I am confident I can get the right team on board to make this happen - hopefully by the end of the year", Olver says.

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Daher Socata et le projet SPn !

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Socata To Join Jet Set with Reworked SPn Daher-Socata confirmed that it is jointly studying plans for a new aircraft development under an exclusive agreement with Allied Aviation Technologies, which owns the assets of the SPn light business jet program on behalf of the main creditor for Grob Aerospace, the aircraft’s former developer. The agreement has been concluded with former Grob Aerospace CEO Niall Olver, who since the company’s bankruptcy in January 2009 has been seeking fresh investors for the SPn.

Speculation about possible new plans for the SPn has been prompted by unofficial reports that the three remaining prototype examples for the aircraft are set to be relocated from Grob Aircraft’s headquarters at Tussenhausen-Mattsies in southern Germany.

Grob Aircraft, which is owned by Germany’s H3 Aerospace group, controls Grob Aerospace’s training aircraft business, which was sold separately during the insolvency process.

Allied owns the prototypes, in addition to all intellectual property associated with the SPn program.

Daher-Socata’s confirmation of the joint study agreement with Allied says that it is “evaluating a 100-percent composite, twin-engine business aircraft program based on the SPn platform.

The French manufacturer has long had ambitions of expanding its turboprop and piston aircraft offerings with the addition of a light jet. Restarting the SPn program, which was quite far advanced when Grob Aerospace hit financial difficulties in August 2008, would provide a way to do this more quickly than starting with a completely new design.

Daher-Socata confirmed that it is jointly studying plans for a new aircraft development under an exclusive agreement with Allied Aviation Technologies, which owns the assets of the SPn light business jet program on behalf of the main creditor for Grob Aerospace, the aircraft’s former developer. The agreement has been concluded with former Grob Aerospace CEO Niall Olver, who since the company’s bankruptcy in January 2009 has been seeking fresh investors for the SPn.

Speculation about possible new plans for the SPn has been prompted by unofficial reports that the three remaining prototype examples for the aircraft are set to be relocated from Grob Aircraft’s headquarters at Tussenhausen-Mattsies in southern Germany. Grob Aircraft, which is owned by Germany’s H3 Aerospace group, controls Grob Aerospace’s training aircraft business, which was sold separately during the insolvency process.

Allied owns the prototypes, in addition to all intellectual property associated with the SPn program. Daher-Socata’s confirmation of the joint study agreement with Allied says that it is “evaluating a 100-percent composite, twin-engine business aircraft program based on the SPn platform.

The French manufacturer has long had ambitions of expanding its turboprop and piston aircraft offerings with the addition of a light jet.

Restarting the SPn program, which was quite far advanced when Grob Aerospace hit financial difficulties in August 2008, would provide a way to do this more quickly than starting with a completely new design.