Global Express
ASTOR
Global 5000
Global XRS
Challenger 800

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The Canadair/Bombardier Challenger is built in Montreal, Canada and fitted out at Montreal-Dorval and Tucson airports.  Bombardier also  own the Learjet aircraft range.
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The Challenger  was originally designed by William Lear, the designer of the Learjet.  He designated it the Learstar 600 but it was never put into production by him, the design instead being sold to Canadair in 1976, who redesigned various areas eventually creating the Challenger two years later.

 
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Eighty five of the original model Challenger were built, first flying on 8th November 1978.  The construction numbers were in the range 1001-1085.  They are powered by Avro-Lycoming ALF502 engines.  Several were acquired by the Canadian Air Force as transports (CC144) and electronic countermeasures platforms (CE144) but have since been sold on for civil use.

Most CL600's have been re-fitted with winglets and designated as the model 600S, and can easily be identified as they retain the ALF502 engines with no exhaust 'cone'

The CL601 is similar externally to the 600S except for the General Electric CF-34-1A engines that were standard. 66 were built using the construction number sequence 3001-3066. This model was first flown on 17th September 1982 and can be identified by the cone shaped engine exhausts plus the lack of an air intake at the base of the tail which was to become standard on later models.  It has a range of up to 4,090 miles and accommodates up to eleven passengers.  The Canadian Air Force acquired four as CC144 transports.

Powered by the upgraded General Electric CF34-3A turbofans, these aircraft differ from the 601 by having digital cockpits plus an APU air intake at the base of the tail. Some models have been fitted with an optional long range fuel tank and can be recognised by a flat tail cone, as the aircraft in this picture illustrates. Up to nineteen passengers can be carried on this model which first flew on 28th September 1986.

This version of the 3A has uprated CF34-3AL engines plus greater range from additional fuel tanks. It is outwardly similar to the previous model and had construction numbers, beginning at 5137, that followed on from the 3A, only to be superseded itself by the 604 after almost sixty had been built. It first flew on 8th November 1988.

This was a planned program with  two aircraft having been allocated from the 601-3A production.  However, it was not produced as sales of the other versions were deemed to be adequate. It was designed as a low cost 3A, with lower fuel capacity, less avionics and reduced fittings.
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Challenger 604

This latest upgrade to the Challenger first flew on 18th September 1994 and is identical externally to the CL601-3 series.  It has increased fuel capacity giving a range of 4000 nm, plus upgraded CF34-3B engines and several internal improvements. It has construction numbers in the 5301+ series and is currently in production, with 365 having been built before being superseded by the 605.

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Challenger 605

Announced at the NBAA show 2005, the Challenger 605 features cabin and cockpit upgrades over the CL604 series which it will replace in production in late 2006.  Weight and performance are said to be similar to the 604 but differences include larger cabin windows which have been raised up the cabin, a cone shaped rear fuselage (as can be seen on this image) and a redesigned interior.  Powered by the GE CF34-3B engines, range is just over 4000nm at M074.  The first flight took place on 22nd January 2006 and certification and service entry due in late 2007.

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BD700 Global Express

The Global Express is in direct competition with the Gulfstream 5 in the extra long range executive jet market.  Although production was started later than the G5, around 130 had been built by late 2004.  The BD700,  like the G5 is powered by Rolls Royce BR710 engines.  The aircraft can carry 8-19 passengers up to around 12,000km and he most obvious difference from the G5 is the large number of fuselage windows and greater sweep of the tail.

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BD700 Global Express XRS

The Global Express XRS was launched at the NBAA show 2003.  It is planned to enter service in early 2006 and will replace the existing Global Express in production.  Two windows are added, making a total of 27 plus a new fuel tank which increases the range to 6500nm at certain speeds.  Upgrades to the cabin and cockpit equipment are also standard.  Cost will be around 45.5 million dollars.  First flight was made on 16th January 2005 from Downsview.

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Global Express ASTOR

The Bombardier test aircraft flies for the first time .

In 1999 it was announced that the UK Government had chosen the Global Express as the platform for it's five aircraft Airborne STand Off Radar (ASTOR) programme after a competition in which the Gulfstream 5 had also been considered.  The requirement was for a dual mode radar and communications system mounted on an ultra long range business jet to provide high altitude, long range surveillance.  This is a joint project between Bombardier Aerospace and Raytheon, who are supplying the radar.  First flight took of the development aircraft fitted with external shapes to test the aerodynamics tookplace on 3rd August 2001 using a company demonstrator.  Changes to the standard aircraft include a canoe shaped fairing under the forward fuselage which houses the dual-mode Synthetic Aperture Radar /Moving Target Indicator radar antenna, a radome on the upper fuselage to house the satcom antenna plus a bullett fairing extension on the vertical stabiliser and delta fins under the aft fuselage.. Airframe modifications and systems integration for the first production aircraft was carried out in Greenville, Texas, where the aircraft arrived on 31st January 2002, but subsequent aircraft were completed at Raytheon's facility at Hawarden, UK.  Flight testing commenced in late 2003 with service entry in 2006.  The aircraft is able to operate at over 45,000ft with a range of 6000 miles and endurance of 13 hours

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Global 5000

Announced in October 2001, the Global 5000 is intended to compete directly with the Gulfstream 4SP and to fill the gap in Bombardier's products between the Challenger and the Global Express.  It is actually a shortened GX, the fuselage length being 32 inches less than its big brother.  Range is also less, around 4,800nm but the intention is for the aircraft to offer a 12% larger cabin plus better speed, range and field performance than the Gulf 4.  First flight was made on 7th March 2003 with certification achieved during 2004 and service entry in April 2005.  This extra time was to allow for any bugs to be ironed out whilst the aircraft was flown as a demonstrator.  As with the GX it is powered by Rolls Royce BR710 engines and retains the Honeywell avionics.  Price is 33.5m US dollars

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Challenger 800

This is a corporate version of the Canadair Regional Jet, powered by two GE CF34-3B1 engines. Previously known as the CRJ-SE (Special Edition) it was renamed mid 2002 to fit in with a family of aircraft.  It carries up to nineteen passengers in an executive interior over a range of 5,780km.