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79-612: The Bombardier Challenger 600 series is a family of business jets developed by Canadair after a Bill Lear concept, and then produced from 1986 by its new owner, Bombardier Aerospace . At the end of 1975, Canadair began funding the development of LearStar 600, and then bought the design for a wide-cabin business jet in April 1976. On 29 October, the programme was launched, backed by the Canadian federal government , and designed to comply with new FAR part 25 standards. In March 1977, it
158-410: A Collins -built radio set; optional long-range, radio-based equipment, such as a HF radio set and VHF navigational aids can be installed. In a standard executive aircraft configuration, the cabin is divided between the forward galley , and two seating sections, which are typically fitted with a four-chair club section followed by either a conference grouping area or divans, along with a lavatory at
237-608: A Gulfstream G750 ; in 2021 the Dassault Falcon 6X , Learjet 70 XR/75XR and Global 7500 XR; in 2022 the Bombardier Challenger 350XRS ; in 2023 the Citation Hemisphere , an Embraer Legacy 700, Phenom 100 V+, Dassault Falcon 9X, Bombardier Challenger 750 and Gulfstream G400NG ; in 2025 a Citation Mustang 2+. Most production business jets use two jet engines as a compromise between
316-464: A T-tail counterpart after the former was found to be in the path of the engine's exhaust flow, the relocation of fuel storage to the wings, and multiple increases of the aircraft's gross weight. Following disagreements over the direction of the programme, Bill Lear was phased out of involvement. In March 1977, the aircraft was renamed the Challenger 600. Reportedly, following his disassociation with
395-636: A commuter airliner , it could seat up to 30 passengers in a 2–1 seating configuration. Canadair developed the design into a large airframe, furnished with a new supercritical wing design, new avionics and engines, as well as for compliance with new FAR part 25 standards. The configuration was frozen in August and a 1/25 model was tested in the National Aeronautical Establishment transonic wind tunnel . Reportedly, in excess of 1,800 hours of wind tunnel testing were performed upon
474-471: A cruciform tail or T-tail to reduce interference drag and increase exhaust clearance. Practical limits on the ground clearance of these smaller aircraft have prompted designers to avoid the common jetliner configuration of a low wing with underslung podded engines. The sole business jet to use this layout, the early McDonnell 119, was rejected by the USAF due to foreign object damage concerns, leading to
553-601: A fighter . A U.S. type certificate was awarded in July 1958, but commercial sales were limited, with most examples going to the military; an improved civilian version similar to a modern very light jet , with a six-seat enclosed cabin and a conventional door, never proceeded past the prototype stage. The commercial failure of the MS.760 Paris prompted the cancellation of projects by Cessna and Douglas Aircraft to market similar jets. The development of center-aisle cabin business jets
632-473: A "letter of intent", is a communication from a party to a contract to the other party that indicates an initial willingness to enter into a contractual obligation absent the elements of a legally enforceable contract. The objective is to create a morally binding but not legally binding assurance. Generally, a letter of comfort is drafted only in vague terms, to avoid creating enforceable contract terms. Few nations regulate letters of comfort by statute; whether
711-433: A "miniaturised twinjet airliner in every respect". While the Challenger is generally similar in configuration to previous aircraft of its type, some of its features stand out; for example, a widened fuselage allows a "walk-about cabin". The Challenger was also one of the first business jets to be designed with a supercritical wing . The wing was referred to by Canadair as being one of the aircraft's most advanced features. It
790-466: A 44,500 lb (20.2 t) maximum take-off weight (MTOW), then two General Electric CF700 turbofans. The smaller, 17,760 pounds (8.06 t) MTOW North American Sabreliner , tailored to the USAF UTX requirement, first flew on 16 September 1958. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT12 turbojet engines then Garrett TFE731s , more than 800 were produced from 1959 to 1982. Designed in 1957 for
869-573: A business jet, Embraer derived the Legacy 600 from the Embraer ERJ family of regional jet airliners. Powered by two 8,800 pounds-force (39.2 kN) Rolls-Royce AE 3007s , the first flight of the 50,000 pounds (22.5 t) aircraft was on 31 March 2001. On 14 August 2001, the Bombardier Challenger 300 made its first flight. The 38,850 pounds (17.62 t) aircraft is powered by two 6,825 pounds-force (30.36 kN) HTF7000s . The 500th example
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#1732783901974948-477: A five-year old aircraft is at 56% of the list price. A new business aircraft typically depreciates by 50% in five years before depreciation flattens between years 10 and 15, and the owner of a 15-to-20 year old aircraft is often the last, matching luxury cars . Business jets have varying value retention, between the leading Embraer Phenom 300 E, sold for $ 9.45 million in 2018 and expected to retain 68% of its value 15 years later for $ 6.46 million in 2033, and
1027-412: A letter of comfort creates legally enforceable contractual terms is often determined only by courts of law, based solely on the wording of the document. Despite their nonbinding status, letters of comfort nonetheless provide risk mitigation because the parent company is putting its own reputation in jeopardy. In international contracts, letters of comfort are often used to assure a contracting party that
1106-511: A low-wing jet powered by two turbofans mounted in aft fuselage pods, with a supercritical wing and a stand-up cabin with two seating sections. The original Lycoming ALF 502 turbofans were replaced by a pair of General Electric CF34s on the CL-601, which also gained winglets , and first flew on 10 April 1982. Subsequent variants have updated systems, avionics, and higher weights. Around 1974, American aviation inventor Bill Lear conceptualised
1185-475: A parent corporation will provide its subsidiary with the necessary resources to fulfill the contract. However, under both international and European Union law, a letter of comfort does not require the parent corporation to fulfill the obligations incurred by its subsidiary. When used to provide support for a subsidiary's actions, a letter of comfort usually consists of three terms: Canada recognizes two types of letters of comfort. The weaker version, in which
1264-470: A parent organization acknowledges that a subsidiary has entered into a contract but which provides no assurance of intention, is called a letter of awareness . The stronger version, the letter of comfort, indicates the parent organization's intention to support the subsidiary. In the United States, there is a general presumption against the enforceability of letters of comfort. However, depending on
1343-455: A single pilot and up to three passengers under a sliding canopy, and was first flown on 29 July 1954; 219 were built. The Lockheed JetStar , designed to meet USAF UCX requirements and seating 10 passengers and two crew, first flew on 4 September 1957. In total, 204 aircraft were produced from 1957 to 1978 powered by several different engines; four 3,300 lbf (15 kN) Pratt & Whitney JT12 turbojets, then Garrett TFE731 turbofans for
1422-673: A total of 689 examples, it is the first of the Cessna Citation family . The trijet Dassault Falcon 50 made its first flight on 7 November 1976. The 40,000 lb (18 t) MTOW airplane is powered by three 3,700 pounds-force (16 kN) TFE731 engines. With the cross-section of the Falcon 20, it is the basis of the larger Falcon 900 . On 8 November 1978, the prototype Canadair Challenger took off. The 43,000–48,000 lb (20–22 t) MTOW craft, usually powered by two 9,200 pounds-force (41 kN) General Electric CF34s , formed
1501-419: Is also capable of performing short takeoffs while maintaining the speed and comfort levels normally associated with larger jetliners. The Challenger's wing has been referred to as being a modified NACA symmetrical aerofoil. Akin to other supercritical wings, it features a rounded leading edge , an inverted camber , a blunt trailing edge and scalloping of the underside. The twin-spar wing box structure spans
1580-413: Is certifiable for conducting Category 3A automatic landings. The flight control system features significant redundancy, including three individual hydraulic systems; even with complete failure and the loss of one actuator , a viable level of assisted control over the key flight surfaces remains present. Weather radar and Marconi -built solid-state instrument displays are supplied as standard, as well as
1659-540: Is done every 200 h or six months, and major inspections are made every 96 months, and includes $ 110,000 landing-gear overhauls, the 8,729 lbf (38.83 kN) CF34-3B turbofans cost $ 375 per engine per hour. The 605 and 650 improve the avionics and cabin, but their performance figures are similar to the 604. The 500th unit was rolled out in May 2000. The 1000th, a 650, was delivered to NetJets in December 2015. Including
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#17327839019741738-654: Is expected to come from North America for 61%, 16% from Europe, 12% from Latin America, 7% from Asia-Pacific and 4% from Middle East and Africa. For the next decade, Aviation Week predicts 8,683 business jets and 2,877 turboprops deliveries, from 792 jets in 2019 to 917 in 2028, and mostly in North America with 5,986 jets and 2,024 turboprops worth $ 126.1 billion. Most value will come from ultra-long-range jets with $ 104.7 billion, followed by super-midsize jets for $ 33.3 billion and large jets for $ 30.6 billion. The fleet
1817-443: Is powered by two 1,600 pounds-force (7.2 kN) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW600s. With its Phenom 300 development, nearly 600 have been built. The first flight of the midsize, fly-by-wire , 7,000 lbf (31 kN) Honeywell HTF7000 -powered Embraer Legacy 500 was on 27 November 2012. It was followed by the shorter Legacy 450 on 28 December 2013. After peaking in 2008, deliveries slowed due to political instability but
1896-408: Is reduced to 47,535 lb (21,562 kg) to meet climb requirements. Pro Line 4 avionics include six 7.25 in (18.4 cm) cathode-ray tubes and dual Flight management systems . It burns 3,800 lb (1,700 kg) in the first hour, 3,200 lb (1,500 kg) in the second hour, 2,800 lb (1,300 kg) in the third hour then 2,000 lb (910 kg)/hr. Scheduled maintenance
1975-551: The Bombardier Global Express . Another direct derivative of the Challenger series has been the Bombardier CRJ100 series , a larger regional airliner . The publication commented that the Challenger family "appears to have a solid future", observing a production rate of two aircraft per month throughout 2018. The Challenger is a twin-engined business jet, described by Flight International as being
2054-612: The CF-5 fighter. Canadair felt a need to prove its ability to independently develop original high-tech projects at this time. Canadair planned to use Lear's name and skills at self-promotion to secure extensive financial guarantees for a business-jet project from the Canadian federal government. This proved an effective choice: Future Prime Minister Jean Chrétien specifically refers to the effect of personal contact with Lear on his decision to direct financial support to Canadair's program. At
2133-594: The Cessna CitationJet was first flown. Powered by two 1,900 pounds-force (8.5 kN) Williams FJ44 engines, the 10,500 lb (4.8 t) light jet used a modified Citation II fuselage with a new wing and tail, and was subsequently developed into the CJ series and M2, ultimately replacing the Citation I, Citation II and Citation V series. The 2,000th CitationJet was delivered in 2017. The first flight of
2212-800: The Challenger 300 and Challenger 850 , the 1,600 Bombardier Challengers in-service had logged 7.3 million hours and over 4.3 million flights by early 2017. As of December 2017, close to 1,100 Challenger 600 Series have been delivered. By October 2018, the global Challenger fleet amounted to 997: of these, 611 were based in North America, 151 in Europe, 93 in Latin America, 78 in Asia-Pacific, 37 in Africa and 23 in Middle East. By May 2019,
2291-681: The Learjet 23 . Powered by two 2,850 pounds-force (12.7 kN) General Electric CJ610s , its 12,500 lb (5.7 t) MTOW complies with FAR Part 23 regulations. The first member of the Learjet family, 104 were built between 1962 and 1966. The forward wing-sweep, 20,280 lb (9.20 t) MTOW Hamburger Flugzeugbau HFB 320 Hansa Jet first flew on 21 April 1964, powered by two General Electric CJ610s; 47 were built between 1965 and 1973. The joint Piaggo-Douglas, 18,000 lb (8.2 t) MTOW Piaggio PD.808 first flew on 29 August 1964, powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Vipers ; 24 were built for
2370-536: The military . The first small, jet-powered civilian aircraft was the Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris , developed privately in the early 1950s from the MS.755 Fleuret two-seat jet trainer . First flown in 1954, the MS.760 Paris differs from subsequent business jets in having only four seats arranged in two rows without a center aisle, similar to a light aircraft , under a large sliding canopy similar to that of
2449-741: The Challenger fleet suffered 18 hull loss accidents, causing 39 fatalities. Data from Bombardier. General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Business jet A business jet , private jet , or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people, typically business executives and high-ranking associates . Business jets are generally designed for faster air travel and more personal comfort than commercial aircraft , and may be adapted for other roles, such as casualty evacuation or express parcel deliveries , and some are used by public bodies , government officials , VIPs , or even
Bombardier Challenger 600 series - Misplaced Pages Continue
2528-504: The Challenger's stretched version, intending to carry up to 12,500 lb of freight at a time using them. FedEx ultimately opted to cancel its orders due to the US Airline Deregulation Act , and the specific aircraft that were already in production were sold to other customers instead. By the spring of 1977, Canadair had received over 70 firm orders and had begun constructing three prototypes . A $ 70 million loan
2607-623: The Italian Air Force. On 2 October 1966 the first large business jet first flew, the 65,500 lb (29.7 t) MTOW Grumman Gulfstream II , powered by two 11,400 lbf (51 kN) Rolls-Royce Spey turbofans. From 1967 to the late '70s, 258 were built, and it led to the ongoing Gulfstream Aerospace long-range family. The 11,850 lb (5.38 t) MTOW Cessna Citation I first flew on 15 September 1969, powered by two 2,200 pounds-force (9.8 kN) Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D turbofans. Produced between 1969 and 1985, for
2686-456: The LearStar 600 concept. By then it was 63 ft (19 m) long, and 53.3 ft (16.2 m) wide, and capable of a maximum speed of Mach 0.85 and a range of 7,240 km (3,910 nmi). As an executive jet, it had sufficient capacity for 14 passengers. In a freighter configuration, it had a 3,400 kg (7,500 lb) payload capacity, loaded and unloaded through a forward door. As
2765-462: The LearStar 600, a low-wing, long-distance business jet , which was powered by a pair of Garrett TFE731 -1 geared turbofan engines and equipped with a supercritical wing . Lear lacked the capabilities to launch such an aircraft, thus sought out other agencies to collaborate with to both produce and sell it, including the Canadian aerospace manufacturer Canadair . According to authors Ron Picklet and Larry Milberry, Canadair's top management were of
2844-665: The UCX requirement, the McDonnell 119 was delayed by the cancellation of the Fairchild J83 engine program, and first flew on 11 February 1959 powered by four Westinghouse J34 turbojets. The 119 was certified for a 45,328 lb (20.6 t) MTOW with four Pratt & Whitney JT12 or General Electric CF700 engines, but no firm orders were received, and only the single prototype was completed. The 25,000 lb (11 t) MTOW British Aerospace 125 first flew on 13 August 1962 as
2923-551: The ability to use relatively short runways, and that lower approach speeds would ease single-pilot operations, particularly by relatively inexperienced owner-pilots. Rolls-Royce plc powers over 3,000 business jets, 42% of the fleet: all the Gulfstreams and Bombardier Globals , the Cessna Citation X and Embraer Legacy 600 , early Hawkers , and many small jets with the Williams-Rolls FJ44 . About 70% of
3002-662: The aft end. The chairs are fully reclining and can swivel, while the divans can serve as sleeping accommodation. Early examples feature luxuries such as telephones, lighting controls, and stereo systems; foldaway tables attached to the cabin walls were also installed, along with a pair of wardrobes, one fore and one aft, for storing hand luggage and other small items. Built from 1996 through 2006, over 360 were delivered. Early ones were selling for $ 4.0–$ 4.5 million and late models for less than $ 8 million in 2016. With 27,000 to 27,100 lb (12,200 to 12,300 kg) operating empty weights , it carries six or seven passengers and full fuel with
3081-434: The aircraft's tail, providing smooth airflow to the engines even when flown at high angles of attack , although this was in a lower position than the original LearStar concept had placed them to mitigate unfavourable pitch control characteristics. The engines are fitted with thrust reversers to decrease landing distances. An auxiliary power unit is also present for starting the engines and providing air conditioning within
3160-470: The all-new Learjet 45 was on 7 October 1995. All of the 642 aircraft built since then have been powered by two 3,500 pounds-force (16 kN) TFE731 engines. Powered by two 2,300 pounds-force (10 kN) Williams FJ44s, the 12,500 pounds (5.7 t) Beechcraft Premier I light jet made its first flight on 22 December 1998. Nearly 300 had been made before production stopped in 2013. In the opposite way compared to Bombardier, which developed airliners from
3239-613: The assembly of the two other had debuted. Destined to control handling qualities and test flight performance, it was formally rolled out on 25 May 1978. 116 orders were confirmed 19 months after go-ahead. By this point, production jigs allowing for a production rate of up to seven Challengers per month had been established, ready for quantity production to proceed. Airframe structural testing began in February 1979. Operational test cycling started in December 1979, simulating 72,638 flight hours by February 1985, while its predicted lifetime
Bombardier Challenger 600 series - Misplaced Pages Continue
3318-504: The basis of the long range Bombardier Global Express family and of the Bombardier CRJ regional airliners. The 1000th Challenger entered service in 2015. On 30 May 1979 the all-new 22,000 lb (10.0 t) MTOW Cessna Citation III took off for the first time, powered by two 3,650 lbf (16.2 kN) TFE731s. The Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond made its first flight on 29 August 1978. The 16,100 lb (7.3 t) MTOW jet
3397-409: The cabin while on the ground. The fuselage comprises three sections — the nose, centre, and tail — which are manufactured separately in their own jigs and joined later on in the production process. It has been designed to be pressurised at a maximum differential of 9.3 lb/sq in. Various cutouts are present across the fuselage to accommodate various features, such as a large main door on
3476-515: The company had begun publicising a new model of the aircraft, the CL-601, which was to be powered by a pair of General Electric CF34 turbofan engines in place of the original models’ Lycoming units. On 10 April 1982, the CL-601 performed its maiden flight. According to Flight International , the decision to adopt the CF34 engine for the new model was responsible for generating a substantial boom in Challenger sales. According to Flight International ,
3555-699: The de Havilland DH.125, powered by two 3,000 pounds-force (13 kN) Armstrong Siddeley Viper turbojets. Its engines were replaced by Garrett TFE731s, then Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300 turbofans. Almost 1,700 aircraft of all variants, including the Hawker 800 , were produced between 1962 and 2013. The Aero Commander 1121 Jet Commander, which later became the IAI Westwind , first flew on 27 January 1963, powered by two General Electric CJ610 turbojets, then Garrett TFE731s . Production of Jet Commanders and Westwinds from 1965 to 1987 came to 442 aircraft, and it
3634-594: The enlarged Challenger, and around which drew up its general arrangement. The type's wide cargo door had been designed in response to the needs of FedEx , the type's original launch customer, having placed an order for 25 aircraft. FedEx had experienced problems with the General Electric CF34 engines, and favoured the Lycoming ALF 502D, instead. Those later had delivery troubles and lacked performance. Reportedly, FedEx converted most of its orders into
3713-457: The entire length of the wing and is compartmentalised to form five internal fuel tanks; these tanks can accommodate up to 14,661 lb of fuel, nearly half the aircraft's empty weight. The skins of the wings are produced using large milling machines, which in 1978 were claimed to be superior to anything else in North America. Many elements, such as the flaps, ailerons , and leading edge, feature conventional construction. Several parts, including
3792-519: The failure of the program. The recent HondaJet uses wing-mounted engines but mitigates this problem with its unique over-the-wing engine pods. As with jetliners, swept wings are often used to increase cruise speed, but straight wings are also commonplace; notably, Cessna deliberately prioritized docile low-speed handling in choosing straight wings for many models in its popular Citation family, envisioning that owners transitioning from slower piston engined or turboprop aircraft would want to maintain
3871-552: The failure of the release mechanism to detach the recovery chute after a deep stall , killing one of the test pilots. The other test pilot and the flight test engineer parachuted to safety. The CL-600-1A11 type certification was approved by Transport Canada in August 1980, and by the US Federal Aviation Administration in November 1980. The program cost was C$ 1.5 billion (US$ 1.1 billion at
3950-481: The first engine supplier with 30% of the $ 24B revenue, in front of the current leader Rolls-Royce at 25%. Honeywell will hold 45% of the $ 16B in avionics revenue ahead of Rockwell Collins with 37% and Garmin . For 2019–2028, Honeywell predicts 7,700 aircraft to be delivered for $ 251 billion. Its breakdown is 62% big (87% in value) – super-midsize to business liner, 10% midsize (7% in value) – light-medium to medium, and 28% small (6% in value). The global demand
4029-476: The first flight to occur in 1978, and that initial deliveries had been scheduled to begin during September 1979. Flight International noted that even prior to the prototype's first flight, the type had already made a noticeable impact upon the competition, including the launch of the Cessna Citation III and Grumman Gulfstream III . By early March 1978, the first prototype was almost finished and
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#17327839019744108-724: The fleet was in North America at the end of 2011, the European market is the next largest, with growing activity in the Middle East, Asia, and Central America. On 1 April 2017, there were 22,368 business jets in the worldwide fleet, of which 11.2% were for sale. By October 2018, the entire private jet fleet was dominated by Textron ( Beechcraft , Cessna and Hawker branded aircraft) with 43.9%, then Bombardier with 22.4%, Gulfstream with 13.0%, Dassault with 9.6% and Embraer with 5.8%, mostly in North America (64.6%), followed by Europe (13.0%) South America (12.1%) and Asia-Pacific (5.9%). As on March 31, 2019, there are 22,125 business jets in
4187-629: The idea near the end of 1975. According to aerospace industry publication Flight International , the programme was viewed by many Canadians as a step towards developing a privately driven high-technology aviation industry that would compete at a global level. Perhaps more importantly, the Canadian government had issued a demand that Canadair become self-sufficient, thus the company wanted to depend less upon subcontracting arrangements with other firms, such as France's Dassault Aviation and America's Boeing , or providing support packages for existing aircraft for which they had already ended production, such as
4266-520: The increased MTOW . It is able to cruise for 7.5–8.0 hrs at Mach 0.80 and to fly five passengers 4,000 nm at Mach 0.74 up to FL 410. Thrust lapse as altitude increases, hefty power, and wing loadings affects hot-and-high performance. It takes off in 3,500 to 4,000 ft (1,100 to 1,200 m) for under 800 nmi (1,500 km; 920 mi) missions, in 5,684 ft (1,732 m) at MTOW and sea level. In 9,123 ft (2,781 m) at ISA+20C and 5,000 ft (1,500 m) altitudes, TOW
4345-567: The industry hopes to revive demand by introducing more attractive and competitive new models, four in 2018: In October 2018, consultant Jetcraft expected 20 variants or new designs to enter service before 2023 (seven large, seven midsize and six small): in 2019 the Global 5500/6500 , Gulfstream G600 , Citation XLS ++ and a CitationJet CJ4+ /, while the Embraer Praetor 500/600 to be introduced in 2019 were predicted for 2021/2022; in 2020
4424-545: The large investment necessary to develop prototypes. Both Lockheed Corporation and McDonnell Aircraft began the development of UCX aircraft, while North American Aviation pursued the UTX requirement. The Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris had a gross weight of 7,650 lb (3.47 t), initially powered by two Turboméca Marboré turbojets of 880 lbf (3.9 kN) thrust, although most aircraft were later upgraded to 1,058 lbf (4.71 kN) units. The aircraft seated
4503-469: The onset. As of October 2018, the best-selling variant of the Challenger series has been the CL-604, which was launched in 1995. The 500th aircraft was rolled out in May 2000. The 1000th, a 650, was delivered to NetJets in December 2015. According to Flight International , the Challenger 600 has been a foothold in the market for Bombardier, allowing them to more easily develop further business jets, such as
4582-483: The operating economy of fewer engines and the ability to safely continue flight after an engine failure. Exceptions include the early Lockheed Jetstar with four engines; the Dassault Falcon 50 and derivatives with three; and the Cirrus Vision SF50 with one, a configuration also used in several similar very light jet design concepts. Most business jets use podded engines mounted on the rear fuselage with
4661-498: The opinion that Lear's concept was sketchy at best. Lear did not have an expert grasp of aeronautical engineering; so far, he had only been able to pay an American aeronautical consultant to undertake very preliminary design explorations. Following a study, contrasting the proposed Learstar against rivals such as the Lockheed Jetstar , Dassault Falcon 50 , and Grumman Gulfstream II , Canadair decided to give its backing to
4740-419: The port side of the aircraft forward of the wing, multiple regulation-compliant emergency exits , a baggage hatch on the port-side aft of the wing, and numerous windows. The fuselage diameter was designed to accommodate an unobstructed cabin floor, a cabin height of 6 ft 1 in in the centre section, and space for the wing box , underfloor integral fuel tanks, air ducts, and various control cabling. It
4819-413: The slow initial sales of the Challenger heavily contributed to the near- bankruptcy of Canadair, which was only avoided by the purchase of the company by Bombardier in 1986. Bombardier elected not only to continue production of the type, but also to finance the development of new models and derivatives. This choice was aided by Canadair's design decision to enable the Challenger to be readily stretched from
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#17327839019744898-399: The supercritical wing alone. Backed by the federal government, the programme was launched on 29 October 1976 with firm orders and deposits for 53 aircraft. Within the next two years, roughly 2,500 employees were involved in designing the aircraft. Changes to the original Learstar configuration had been made on the run up to the launch, such as the conventional tailplane being substituted for
4977-592: The time of these events, Chrétien was successively president of the Treasury Board, minister of Industry, Trade, and Commerce, and minister of Finance, in the Canadian government. Due to the use of letters of comfort , the extent of the ministry's financial commitments for Canadair could be kept from parliament and the public for several years. These financial guarantees were later used as an academic example of insufficient monitoring and lax controls in government support of industry. In April 1976, Canadair acquired
5056-478: The time). In 1980, the first production model of the Challenger series, the CL-600, entered service with end customers. Early marketing of the type by Canadair typically contrasted the more spacious cabin offered by the Challenger against its competitors, which typically had more narrow fuselages, and therefore cramped conditions, as well as the type's fuel economy. By 1982, while only 10 aircraft had entered service,
5135-485: The trailing $ 24.5 million Gulfstream G280 , predicted to retain 42% of its value for $ 10.25 million. In October 2017 Jetcraft forecast 8,349 unit deliveries in the next decade for $ 252 billion, a 30.2 $ M average. Cessna should lead the numbers with 27.3% of the deliveries ahead of Bombardier with 20.9%, while Gulfstream would almost lead the revenue market share with 27.8% trailing Bombardier with 29.2%. For 2016–2025, Jetcraft forecast Pratt & Whitney Canada should be
5214-485: The venture, Lear referred to Canadair's revised design as Fat Albert . Following Lear's death in May 1978, Canadair paid an estimated $ 25 million to his estate for his contribution to the programme. Due to the expansion of the design, the original powerplant configuration became untenable. Engine manufacturer Lycoming proposed developing a new model, the Lycoming ALF 502 L, which Canadair's design team accepted for
5293-497: The wing in a configuration unique amongst business jets. As of March 2020, 150 had been delivered. It was followed by the 8,645 pounds (3.921 t) MTOW Cessna Citation Mustang on 23 April 2005, powered by two 1,460 pounds-force (6.5 kN) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW600s and with more than 450 produced. Then the Embraer Phenom 100 made its maiden flight on 26 July 2007. The 10,500 pounds (4.75 t) MTOW airplane
5372-483: The wing/fuselage fairing, flap shrouds, and wingtips, are moulded out of Kevlar , as are other elements of the aircraft. The original CL-600 Challenger was powered by two Lycoming ALF 502L turbofan engines, which were developed specifically for the Challenger. Subsequent models adopted other powerplants, including the General Electric CF34 engine. The engines are mounted on the rear fuselage close to
5451-1010: The worldwide fleet and top 20 country markets account for 89% of this total fleet. In 2015 the total airplane billing amounted to US$ 21.9 billion, and 718 business jets were delivered to customers across the globe: 199 (27.7%) by Bombardier Aerospace , 166 (23.1%) by Textron Aviation , 154 (21.4%) by Gulfstream Aerospace , 120 (16.7%) by Embraer and 55 (7.7%) by Dassault Aviation . In 2017, 676 business jets were shipped, led by Gulfstream with $ 6.56 billion for 120 aircraft, Bombardier with $ 5.2 billion for 140, Textron with $ 2.87 billion (including propeller aircraft and 180 jets), Dassault with $ 2.42 billion for 49 and Embraer with $ 1.35 billion for 109. In 2022, 712 business jets were shipped, led by Gulfstream with $ 6.60 billion for 120 aircraft, Bombardier with $ 6,04 billion for 123, Textron Aviation with $ 3,62 billion, Dassault Aviation with $ 1,76 billion for 32, Embraer with $ 1,36 for 102 and Pilatus with $ 900 million for 123 aircraft. The residual value level for
5530-472: Was 30,000 hours. On 8 November 1978, the prototype aircraft took off for its maiden flight from Montreal, Quebec . The flight test and certification program were conducted at Mojave Kern County Airport instead of Canada due to better weather. The second and third prototypes first flew during 1979. A test flight on 3 April 1980 in the Mojave Desert resulted in disaster. The aircraft crashed due to
5609-428: Was accelerated by an August 1956 United States Air Force (USAF) letter of the requirement for two " off-the-shelf " aircraft, the larger UCX (cargo) and smaller UTX (trainer). These requirements differed from standard USAF procurement contracts in that no formal competitions would occur, and manufacturers were expected to develop the aircraft without government funds; despite this, a substantial USAF purchase would offset
5688-487: Was also designed to easily accommodate Canadair's early plans to stretch the fuselage, for which equal-length plugs are installed fore and aft of the centre section to greatly increase the Challenger's capacity. Various avionics are present in the Challenger. As standard, the CL-600 is furnished with a dual-channel Sperry SPZ-600 automatic flight control system , incorporating a flight director and air data computers ; more typical to larger commercial aircraft, this system
5767-478: Was borrowed from European sources to help finance the programme, which lessened the financial burden on the Canadian government. A full-scale fuselage mockup was displayed at the 1977 Paris Air Show before a European and North American tour. 106 were sold by the end of 1977. In late 1977, in the face of criticism that the project would not be capable of producing an aircraft fulfilling the performance guarantees made, Canadair officials had commented that they expected
5846-400: Was close to bankruptcy and was bought by Bombardier. The jet was later stretched into the Bombardier CRJ regional airliner, introduced on 19 October 1992, and the longer range Global Express , introduced in July 1999. The 500th Challenger was rolled out in May 2000, and the 1000th was delivered to NetJets in December 2015. By October 2018, 1,066 aircraft had been built. The Challenger is
5925-498: Was delivered in 2015. The first very light jet, the 5,950 pounds (2.70 t) MTOW Eclipse 500 , took off for the first time on 26 August 2002, powered by two 900 pounds-force (4.0 kN) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW600s . Between then and the end of production in 2008, 260 were produced. Another new small jet, the 10,701 pounds (4.854 t) Honda HA-420 HondaJet , first flew on 3 December 2003 powered by two 2,050 pounds-force (9.1 kN) GE Honda HF120 engines mounted above
6004-523: Was developed as the IAI Astra , later rebranded as the Gulfstream G100 . The 29,000 lb (13 t) MTOW Dassault Falcon 20 first flew on 4 May 1963, powered by two General Electric CF700s , then Garrett ATF3 turbofans and Garrett TFE731s. In total, 508 were built from 1963 to 1988, and it is the basis of the Dassault Falcon family. The first light jet first flew on 7 October 1963 -
6083-416: Was powered by two 2,900 lbf (13 kN) JT15D . The design was later sold and was renamed Beechjet 400 then Hawker 400 , with a total of 950 produced of all variants. The 1980s only saw the introduction of derivatives and no major new designs. Also there was an advent of fractional ownership in the late 1980s for business jets. For much of the 1980s, sales of new aircraft slumped. On 29 April 1991,
6162-578: Was predicted to grow from 31,300 aircraft to nearly 35,600 with Textron leading the market with 25% of deliveries worth $ 32.1 billion. For the decade starting in 2018, 22,190 engine deliveries were forecast (including several turboprop engine models), led by the Honeywell HTF7000 , Williams FJ44 and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300 . The average utilization was forecast to be 365 flight hours per aircraft per year. Letter of comfort (contract law) A letter of comfort , sometimes called
6241-415: Was renamed the Challenger 600 after Bill Lear was phased out, and the original conventional tail was changed for a T-tail among other developments. The first prototype was rolled out on 25 May 1978, and performed its maiden flight on 8 November. The flight test program saw a deadly crash on 3 April 1980, but Transport Canada approved the CL-600 type certification on 10 August 1980. In 1986, Canadair
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