Bombardier Claims Performance Edge for All
Three of its New Business Jets
Bombardier says its new business jets outperform the competition.
And while we've all heard that before, what's probably unprecedented
is that the Canadian airframer has brought three new aircraft
to Paris, one from each of its business aircraft families: Learjet,
Challenger and Global.
The three Bombardier aircraft here are making their Le Bourget
debuts. For the Learjet 40 it's only the second airshow appearance
ever, following its debut at the 2002 NBAA Convention in Orlando.
The Challenger 300 (formerly Continental) is making its first
appearance with a finished production interior. And the Global
5000 is making its public debut.
Both the Global 5000 and the Challenger 300 here made their first
flights this year, the pair taking to the air within 18 hours
of each other in early March. For the Global 5000 it was the first
flight of the new type. The Learjet 40 first flew last September.
The $7.74 million Learjet 40 has been designed as a faster alternative
to its closest competitor, the Cessna Citation Encore, says David
Schenck, Bombardier VP for development programs. Carrying four
passengers, it can make the trip from Athens to London in just
three hours and 27 minutes, he says, about 50 minutes faster than
the $7.58 million Encore. High-speed cruise is Mach .81, and long-range
cruise Mach .75.
The Learjet 40 is powered by Honeywell TFE731-20-AR engines and
has a Honeywell Primus cockpit. Like other Lears it has an above-the-weather
ceiling of 51,000 feet. The aircraft has an all-new cabin too,
and is expected to enter service in the first quarter of 2004.
The super-midsize Challenger 300, for which certification is being
announced here at Paris, is the aircraft formerly known as the
Continental. "The intention was for a fully transcontinental
aircraft with a full load, and that has been validated,"
says Schenck. Range is 3,100 nmi. Two FADEC-equipped Honeywell
AS907 engines power the Challenger 300. It has Collins Pro Line
21 avionics.
Visitors here can for the first time view Challenger 300's cabin,
which is said to be more spacious than that of Raytheon's Hawker
Horizon. It's arranged in a single-compartment, optional divan
configuration and can seat eight passengers. The Challenger 300
is priced at $17.42 million, compared with $18.04 million for
the Horizon.
"We're currently trying to fly the wings off it," says
Schenck, explaining that the Challenger 300 emphasis now is the
aircraft's service debut with Bombardier's Flexjet fractional
program during the fourth quarter. "All of our time is focused
on making sure the entry into service is flawless," he says.
The Global 5000, priced at $33.5 million, is a shorter fuselage,
shorter-legged, and somewhat faster version of Bombardier's flagship
Global Express, which is priced at $44.4 million. "It's a
very, very fast airplane, says Schenck, "the fastest commercial
transatlantic aircraft" on the market, with a cruise speed
of Mach .85. Range is 4,800 nmi, providing non-stop service from
Europe to the U.S. Midwest-Paris-Chicago, for example, or London-Dallas.
The Global 5000 is powered by twin Rolls-Royce Deutschland BR710A2-20
engines. It has Honeywell Primus 2000 avionics and a head-up display
by Thales, with Thales-CMC infrared enhanced vision system.
