Challenger
300
CL600
CL600S
CL601
CL601-3A
CL601-3R
CL601-3S
CL604
CL605
Global
Express
ASTOR
Global
5000
Global XRS
Challenger
800
Index
Page
|
 |
Announced
at the NBAA 1998, this is Bombardier's entry into the super-midsize market.
Originally designated as the 'BD100 Continental', the aircraft was re-named
'Challenger 300' mid 2002 to reflect a family of aircraft. Launched
in mid 1999, range is 3100nm with eight passengers at around 487kt.
Powered by two Allied Signal AS907 turbofans, the interior area will rival
that of the Gulfstream 2 or IAI Galaxy. First flight was on 14th
August 2002, from Wichita, Kansas. Certification was achieved in September
2003 with deliveries beginning early 2004. Initial aircraft were
allocated to Bombardier subsidiary Flexjet to allow teething troubles to
be ironed out before delivery to other customers. The aircraft is
priced at 17.4m dollars and production was moved from Wichita
to Montreal in late 2004. Over 150 had been built by mid 2007. |
|
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.
.
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.
top
top
top
top
top
top |
.
 |
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. |
.top
 |
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.
.top
 |
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. |
.
 |
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. |
top
 |
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. |
.
 |
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. |
.top
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 |
.
 |
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 |
.top
 |
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. |
|