WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy may be coming in for a landing, but the demand for private jets is still flying high.

The bustling economies of China and India, and newfound oil wealth in countries such as Russia, have helped keep sales of small executive jets strong. Despite the weakening of corporate profits in the United States, North American plane makers are reporting record orders, many from overseas.

"There is a lot of demand worldwide," said Raymond Jaworowski, an aerospace analyst with market research firm Forecast International in Newtown, Conn. "If the U.S. economy does soften and even if we go into recession, the effects will be insulated somewhat by the growing economies outside the United States."

The overall demand for jets is expected to remain strong in the coming years, said Jaworowski, who forecasts nearly 15,000 business jets worth a total of $192 billion will be sold over the next decade industrywide. The increase will come in planes of all sizes, he said.

New planes are in the works to satisfy companies hoping to free top brass from the hassle of commercial air travel.

General Dynamics Corp., owner of Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., recently disclosed plans to build the largest, fastest and most expensive private jet for delivery starting in 2012.

Gulfstream said its new G650 will be capable of flying nearly 700 mph, faster than a Boeing 747. It will seat 18, have a full kitchen and bar, and offer individualized entertainment, satellite phone service and wireless Internet access during the flight.

Passengers will be able to sip a cocktail at 51,000 feet, its maximum altitude, the company said.

At a base price of $58 million, it will cost about $10 million more than its predecessor, Gulfstream's G550.

The North American market has traditionally been the biggest consumer of private jets, but Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics said 2007 orders for Gulfstream jets overseas surpassed its North American totals for the first time. The company sold its first large cabin jet in China last month.

Canada's Bombardier Inc. said earlier this year that it had a record 452 orders in its fiscal year ending Jan. 31, up from 274 for its previous fiscal year. The Wichita, Kan.-based Hawker Beechcraft Corp. said the Chinese business aircraft operator Deer Jet, one of China's largest charter companies, ordered two midsize business jets last year.

The Brazilian plane maker Embraer recently signed deals with Indian and Chinese companies, while Cessna Aircraft Co., the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation planes, said companies outside the United States accounted for 53 percent of its total business jet orders in 2007, up from 48 percent in 2006.

Nicholas Chabraja, CEO of General Dynamics, recently told an investor conference that the company is still trying to chart the long-term impact of the increase in overseas orders, but said "it looks like a structural change in the marketplace."

Private jets have become the travel method of choice for corporate executives who can afford them, cutting down on wait times and delays that affect commercial carriers.

Commercial aircraft manufacturers have also entered the market. Boeing Co. offers converted passenger jets, such as the 737, for private use.

The German carrier Lufthansa has said it will start its own private jet service this summer using midsize jets bought from Cessna.

While international demand is providing a boost, analysts say the prospect of a slowdown in the U.S. economy could mean corporations cut back on their executive travel to save money. But with overseas demand and the fact that jets are usually built for many years, longer than most business cycles, the sector should be able to weather a possible recession, said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with the Teal Group in Fairfax, Va.

"It might be a tough sell," he said of a new Gulfstream plane's prospects in the next few years. "But recessions don't last that long and a jet program lasts a quarter of a century."