One of the variants of the A320neo family, Airbus Corporate Jet 320neo also known as the ACJ320neo is double the width of a conventional business jet with the same fuselage and wing length. Designed and manufactured by Airbus, this aircraft is a business jet that has the longest travel range in the A320 versions.
ACJ320neo got its first order in May 2015 from Acropolis Aviation, a United Kingdom charter operator based at Farnborough Airport. Afterwards, the aircraft proceeded to Switzerland for the installation of interior cabin. In November 2016, the Melody Cabin design was presented. Six aircraft with Melody Cabin design were supplied in December 2016. In February 2016, Comlux Aviation Group in Switzerland ordered three ACJ320neo.
The aircraft completed its assembly in 2018.
Maiden flight of ACJ320neo took place on November 16 2018, wherein there was a short-test programme for the additional fuel tanks and increase cabin pressure. This aircraft finished a two-hour and forty-minute flight from Hamburg, Germany. In January 2019, ACJ320neo entered into service.
ACJ320neo Design
Derived on commercial variant of Airbus- A320neo, this aircraft has a wingtip sharklets that improve the efficiency of the unit by take-off and landing performance improvement and drag reduction. These sharklets save fuel by reducing it to 4%, which compare to 900t of carbon dioxide emissions annual reduction.
ACJ320neo boasts its category 3B automatic landing and runway overrun prevention system, on-board airport navigation system, and added protection of fly-by-wire controls. The fly-by-wire technology that this aircraft features brings better reliability, enhanced protection, and improved handling.
This aircraft has an external length of 37.57 meters, tail height of 11.76 meters, fuselage diameter of 3.95 meters, and wingspan of 35.8 meters. It can transport a maximum of 25 passengers, and has a user-friendly and generous cockpit that has the latest technology.
ACJ320neo Cabin
ACJ320neo features a Melody Cabin- a mixture of customer’s taste, with a new outlook to cabin design. This cabin has flowing lines like that of the curves of nature, with hilly horizons, rivers, and deserts. These lines are defined in the cabin’s main pathway and the walls within it. The features of melody cabin focus on appealing environment as that of a home cinema setting.
The aircraft cabin has a length of 27.74 meters, height of 2.25 meters, width of 3.70 meters, and floor area of 96m². It has a kitchen, dining area, lounge, master bedroom, washroom, and lavatory. It has a 65-inches large screen television with loud speakers in the ceiling, and a wifi connection for entertainment purposes.
This aircraft also has a baggage space of 650ft³ that can lodge up to 138 suitcases.
ACJ320neo Engine and Performance
ACJ320neo is powered by two of the latest-generation engines in the aviation industry: CFM International’s LEAP-1A engine and Pratt and Whitney’s Pure Power PW1100G. Both of these engines have a maximum thrust of 27,000 lbf, and offer better improvements in terms of range and efficiency. It has a fuel capacity of 9,070 US Gal, and can be equipped with four more tanks. It can fly up to a service ceiling of 41,000 feet with a maximum range of 6,750 nautical mile. Its take-off and landing distance are 2,100 meters and 1,500 meters respectively. Maximum take-off and landing weights are 79,016 kg and 67,400 kg, with a maximum payload of 17,900 kg.
