Challenger 300
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The Bombardier Challenger 300 is a range super mid-sized
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 coworker, associates. Business jets are generally designed for faster air travel and more ...
designed and produced by the Canadian aircraft manufacturer
Bombardier Aerospace Bombardier Aviation, a division of Bombardier Inc., is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada. The company currently produces the Global and Challenger series of business jets. At its peak, Bombardier operated manufacturing plants in 27 c ...
. Development of the aircraft, originally called the Bombardier Continental, begun during the late 1990s and was formally launched at the 1999
Paris Air Show The Paris Air Show (, ''Salon du Bourget'') is a trade fair and air show held in odd years at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in France. Organized by the French aerospace industry's primary representative body, the ''Groupement des industries frança ...
. The baseline Challenger 300 performed its
maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
on 14 August 2001 and received its Canadian type approval on 31 May 2003; it commenced commercial operations on 8 January 2004. The majority of sales were to
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n-based entities. During the late 2010s, the price of the Challenger 300/350 was lowered substantially to better compete against rivals such as the
Embraer Legacy 500 The Embraer Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600 are a family of mid-size and super mid-size business jets built by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The aircraft family was launched with the Legacy 500 in April 2008 and were the first jets ...
. Improved models of the Challenger 300 have been developed. The Challenger 350, a slightly improved range variant, made its first flight on 2 March 2013 and was approved on 11 June 2014. During September 2021, Bombardier launched the Challenger 3500, featuring auto-throttles and an upgraded cabin. By July 2020, around 450 Challenger 300s, and 350 Challenger 350s had reportedly been delivered.


Development


Challenger 300

During the late 1990s, Bombardier Aerospace decided to embark on the development of a super mid-sized business jet that would be positioned between its existing
Learjet 60 The Learjet 60 is a mid-size cabin, medium-range business jet aircraft manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace in Wichita, Kansas. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305A engines, it has a range (with 4 passengers and 2 crew) of with NBAA ...
and the Challenger 604.
Market research Market research is an organized effort to gather information about target markets and customers. It involves understanding who they are and what they need. It is an important component of business strategy and a major factor in maintaining com ...
had reportedly indicated that in excess of 1,000 new generation super mid-size business jets would be sold by 2012 and the company forecast that the new aircraft could secure one-third of this market. Early on, it was sized to accommodate eight passenger as well as to cover a distance of 5,740km (3,100nm) while cruising at a speed of Mach 0.8. It was a clean-sheet design, having not been developed from either the
Challenger 600 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 ...
or its variants. In late 1998 and early 1999, various key suppliers, such as
Rockwell Collins Rockwell Collins, Inc. was a multinational corporation headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, providing avionics and information technology systems and services to government agencies and aircraft manufacturers. It was formed when the Collins Radi ...
and
AlliedSignal AlliedSignal, Inc. was an American aerospace, automotive and engineering company, created through the 1985 merger of Allied Corp. and The Signal Companies. It purchased Honeywell for $14.8 billion in 1999, and adopted the Honeywell name and iden ...
, the former providing its Pro Line 21 integrated avionics system and the latter producing the AS907
turbofan A turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft engine, aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a combination of references to the preceding generation engine technology of the turbojet and the add ...
engine selected to power the type, agreed terms for their involvement in the project.
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opted to become a risk-sharing partner in the business jet's production, as well as being appointed to design, manufacture, and integrate the business jet's new single-piece wing. Taiwan's
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC; zh, c=漢翔航空工業股份有限公司, p=Hànxiáng Hángkōng Gōngyè Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī 漢翔航空工業 or 漢翔航空) is a Taiwanese aerospace company based in Taichung ...
(AIDC) was selected to supply the aft fuselage and empennage for the new aircraft. Simultaneously, Bombardier's sale team set about securing commitments from prospective customers ahead of the programme's actual launch. The baseline Challenger 300 was formally launched at the 1999
Paris Air Show The Paris Air Show (, ''Salon du Bourget'') is a trade fair and air show held in odd years at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in France. Organized by the French aerospace industry's primary representative body, the ''Groupement des industries frança ...
, being initially referred to as the ''Bombardier Continental''.
Type certification A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). Certification confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production is in compliance w ...
and the first deliveries both originally scheduled to take place during 2002. In November 1999, it was announced that the programme was proceeding ahead of schedule, having reached its first production milestone that same month; final assembly was performed in
Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
. Around this time, Bombardier was also reportedly considering launching a
regional jet A regional jet (RJ) is a jet airliner, jet-powered regional airliner usually defined by having fewer than 100 seats. The first aircraft considered part of this category was the Sud-Aviation Caravelle in 1959, followed by Douglas DC-9, BAC O ...
model of the aircraft as well. In early March 2000, the company stated that 54 orders had been secured for the Challenger 300 since its launch. Even in early 2001, Bombardier was anticipating the aircraft's entry to service during the following year. However, delays were encountered that year, some of which can be attributed to the AS900 engine, which itself was not certified as quickly as had been expected. On 14 August 2001, the first prototype performed its
maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
; two months later, the second prototype joined the flight test programme. During September 2002, it was announced that the entry to service date had been pushed back so that design modifications could be implemented. On 31 May 2003, it received
Transport Canada Transport Canada () is the Ministry (government department), department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, Policy, policies and Public services, services of road, rail, marine and air Transport in Canada, tra ...
's approval, followed on 4 June by US FAR 25 certification and on 31 July by European JAR 25 approval.


Challenger 350

The improved variant first flew on 2 March 2013, was unveiled at the next May
EBACE European Business Aviation Association (abbr. EBAA) is a non-profit association based in Belgium founded in 1977. Its more than 700 member companies cover all aspects of the business aviation sector worldwide. The EBAA's aim is to promote excelle ...
and was due to enter service in May 2014. Combined with a more luxurious interior and 20% taller cabin windows, it costs $1 million more at $25.9 million. Its launch customer,
NetJets NetJets Inc. is an American company that sells Fractional ownership of aircraft, fractional ownership shares in private business jets. Founded as Executive Jet Airways in 1964, it was later renamed Executive Jet Aviation. NetJets became the ...
, ordered 75 firm and 125 options. It received its
type certification A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). Certification confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production is in compliance w ...
from
Transport Canada Transport Canada () is the Ministry (government department), department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, Policy, policies and Public services, services of road, rail, marine and air Transport in Canada, tra ...
on 11 June 2014, from the FAA on 25 June, and from the
EASA The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Commission with responsibility for civil aviation safety in the European Union. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs inve ...
on 2 September. During 2018, 60 Challenger 350s were delivered as Bombardier claimed a 58% market share of the super mid-size segment, and the 300th delivery was reached in July 2019, after five years of service. Hot-section modifications and a
FADEC A full authority digital engine (or electronics) control (FADEC) is a system consisting of a digital computer, called an "electronic engine controller" (EEC) or " engine control unit" (ECU), and its related accessories that control all aspects of a ...
push gave the Honeywell HTF7350 7.3% more takeoff thrust at with the same
flat rating Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Apartment, known as a flat in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), a two-dimens ...
, durability and reliability. A strengthened wing with canted
winglet Wingtip devices are intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft by reducing drag. Although there are several types of wing tip devices which function in different manners, their intended effect is always to reduce an aircraft' ...
s and more span allows for more full fuel
payload Payload is the object or the entity that is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of t ...
. Canted winglets have a less acute angle that reduces transonic drag and enlarge the span by , increasing wing area and aspect ratio. At a weight of it cruises at Mach 0.80 / TAS and is advertised as burning per hour. In 2014, Bombardier's maintenance program for the type was priced at $277 per hour; inspections are performed at 600 hour intervals. The
avionics Avionics (a portmanteau of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the ...
include four Adaptive LCD Displays, Dual FMS with LPV and RNP approaches capability, SVS, a MultiScan,
Weather Radar A weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc.). Modern w ...
, Dual
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, dual
SBAS Augmentation of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is a method of improving the navigation system's attributes, such as precision, reliability, and availability, through the integration of external information into the calculation process. ...
GPS, integrated
EFIS In aviation, an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) is a flight instrument display system in an aircraft cockpit that displays flight data electronically rather than electromechanically. An EFIS normally consists of a primary flight ...
and dual VHF and
HF radio High frequency (HF) is the ITU designation for the band of radio waves with frequency between 3 and 30 megahertz (MHz). It is also known as the decameter band or decameter wave as its wavelengths range from one to ten decameters (ten to one ...
s. It is able to carry eight passengers over a 3,200 nmi / 5,926 km range at a Mach 0.80 (459 kn, 849 km/h) long-range cruise. It is manufactured in Canada.


Challenger 3500

Bombardier unveiled the Challenger 3500 at an event in Montreal on 14 September 2021. The 3500 is a development of the Challenger 300/350, and will feature various improvements, including auto- throttles and an upgraded cabin. The new name will also bring the Challenger 3500 inline with Bombardier's Global nomenclature. Bombardier anticipates deliveries of the Challenger 3500 the second half of 2022 and will carry a price tag of $26.7 million, which is the same as the current Challenger 350. During 2023, the advertised price of a new-build Challenger 3500 was $27.2M.


Design

The Bombardier Challenger 300 is a super mid-sized business jet. It is capable of flying across the continental United States in a single hop; specifically, the aircraft is able to climb to FL410 within 18 minutes with a fuel burn at MTOW/ISA, where at a weight it burns /h at Mach 0.8/ tas, /h at Mach 0.83/ tas. While both the Challenger 300 and Challenger 350 retain the same sized cabin, the latter is outfitted with a more modern and streamlined interior. All seats are berthable, and in some configurates can be aligned to form beds. A
Lufthansa Technik Lufthansa Technik AG ('Lufthansa Engineering', often referred to simply as "LHT") is a Germany-based company that provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for aircraft, engines, and components. It is a subsidiary of the Lufthansa ...
-supplied cabin management system and
in-flight entertainment system In-flight entertainment (IFE) refers to entertainment and other value-added services available to aircraft passengers during a flight. Frequently managed by content service providers, the types of in-flight entertainment and their content vary s ...
, along with amenities such as electrical sockets,
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...
ports, and wireless connectivity, is present on some aircraft. Various optional features can be fitted within the cabin, such as three-place
divan A divan or diwan (, ''dīvān''; from Sumerian ''dub'', clay tablet) was a high government ministry in various Islamic states, or its chief official (see ''dewan''). Etymology The word, recorded in English since 1586, meaning "Oriental cou ...
, an extra belted seat in the lavatory. The Challenger 350 is equipped with a pocket door between the
galley A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...
and cabin, increasing privacy and minimising noise. Both the galley and lavatory can be furnished with stone, marble, or wood flooring. Both the fuselage and wing are
semi-monocoque The term semi-monocoque or semimonocoque refers to a stressed shell structure that is similar to a true monocoque, but which derives at least some of its strength from conventional reinforcement. Semi-monocoque construction is used for, among o ...
aluminum structures, while the
winglet Wingtip devices are intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft by reducing drag. Although there are several types of wing tip devices which function in different manners, their intended effect is always to reduce an aircraft' ...
s are composed of
composite material A composite or composite material (also composition material) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or physical properties and are merged to create a ...
s. It is outfitted with
supercritical wing A supercritical airfoil (supercritical aerofoil in British English) is an airfoil designed primarily to delay the onset of wave drag in the transonic speed range. Supercritical airfoils are characterized by their flattened upper surface, highly ...
s that have a fixed
leading edge The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...
and a 27%
sweep angle Sweep or swept may refer to: Cleaning * Sweep, the action of using a brush to clean * Chimney sweep, a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys * Street sweeper, a person's occupation, or a machine that cleans streets * Swept quartz, a ...
and
winglet Wingtip devices are intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft by reducing drag. Although there are several types of wing tip devices which function in different manners, their intended effect is always to reduce an aircraft' ...
s that reduce cruise
lift-induced drag Lift-induced drag, induced drag, vortex drag, or sometimes drag due to lift, in aerodynamics, is an aerodynamic drag force that occurs whenever a moving object redirects the airflow coming at it. This drag force occurs in airplanes due to wings or ...
by 17%. The wing is equipped with spoilers controlled via a
fly-by-wire Fly-by-wire (FBW) is a system that replaces the conventional aircraft flight control system#Hydro-mechanical, manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic sig ...
system: the outboard, multi-function spoilers act as
spoilerons In aeronautics, spoilerons (also known as spoiler ailerons or roll spoilers) are spoilers that can be used asymmetrically as flight control surfaces to provide roll control. Operation Spoilerons roll an aircraft by reducing the lift of the dow ...
, augmenting
roll Roll may refer to: Physics and engineering * Rolling, a motion of two objects with respect to each-other such that the two stay in contact without sliding * Roll angle (or roll rotation), one of the 3 angular degrees of freedom of any stiff bo ...
control and operating together in flight to dump lift and act as speedbrakes, while all outboard and inboard spoiler panels deploy together to act as ground spoilers, dumping lift on the ground. The
hydraulically Hydraulics () is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...
-acutated single-slotted
fowler flap A flap is a high-lift device used to reduce the stalling speed of an aircraft wing at a given weight. Flaps are usually mounted on the wing trailing edges of a fixed-wing aircraft. Flaps are used to reduce the take-off distance and the landin ...
have four positions:  0/10/20/30°. The outboard
ailerons An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...
are manually actuated while both the
elevators An elevator (American English) or lift (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive tracti ...
and
rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...
are hydraulically-powered with a mechanical backup. The flight deck of the aircraft is provisioned with
Rockwell Collins Rockwell Collins, Inc. was a multinational corporation headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, providing avionics and information technology systems and services to government agencies and aircraft manufacturers. It was formed when the Collins Radi ...
Pro Line 21
avionics Avionics (a portmanteau of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the ...
include four LCD displays, an
EICAS An engine-indicating and crew-alerting system (EICAS) is an integrated system used in modern aircraft to provide aircraft flight crew with instrumentation and crew annunciations for aircraft engines and other systems. On EICAS equipped aircr ...
and Maintenance Diagnostics Computer, an
EGPWS A Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) is a system designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines GPWS as a type of ...
, a
TCAS A traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS), pronounced ), also known as an Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS), is an aircraft collision avoidance system designed to reduce the incidence of mid-air collision (MAC) between aircraf ...
II and an ELT. On the Challenger 350, the primary flight display (PFD) fills the full width with the attitude directional indicator (ADI) symbology and
synthetic vision system A synthetic vision system (SVS) is a computer-mediated reality system for aerial vehicles, that uses 3D to provide pilots with clear and intuitive means of understanding their flying environment. Functionality Synthetic vision provides situat ...
(SVS) imagery. The flight controls use cables and pulleys for the most part. Rockwell Collins's digital MultiScan radar system is present, featuring ground-clutter suppression and auto-tilt and -gain. Nosewheel steering, achieved via a tiller, provides 70 degrees turning authority to either left or right.


Operational history

The Challenger 300 entered commercial service on 8 January 2004 with
Flexjet Flexjet is an American provider of fractional ownership aircraft, leasing, and jet card services. Founded in 1995 as a division of Bombardier Aerospace, it is currently owned by Directional Aviation, an aviation private investment firm. Backg ...
. In 2004, the unit cost of the Challenger 300 was US$17.4 million. By November 2014, 448 Challenger 300s were in service and, over nearly one million hours of operations, had achieved a 99.79% dispatch reliability rate; five-year-old aircraft retain 64% of their original value. At the end of 2015, Challenger 300/350 were operational; of these, 402 aircraft were in North America, 75 in Western Europe, 37 in Latin America, 12 in Eastern Europe, seven in India, six in Africa and China, four in Asia Pacific and one in the Middle East; the largest operator was
Flexjet Flexjet is an American provider of fractional ownership aircraft, leasing, and jet card services. Founded in 1995 as a division of Bombardier Aerospace, it is currently owned by Directional Aviation, an aviation private investment firm. Backg ...
with 30 Challenger 300s and seven 350s, then
Netjets NetJets Inc. is an American company that sells Fractional ownership of aircraft, fractional ownership shares in private business jets. Founded as Executive Jet Airways in 1964, it was later renamed Executive Jet Aviation. NetJets became the ...
with 26 delivered, including four to Netjets Europe. During 2017, in response to competitive pressures, Bombardier chose to discount the price of the Challenger 300/350 by $7 million to match the
Embraer Legacy 500 The Embraer Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600 are a family of mid-size and super mid-size business jets built by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The aircraft family was launched with the Legacy 500 in April 2008 and were the first jets ...
's $20 million price. Over 200 Challenger 350 were delivered by December 2017, adding to around 450 Challenger 300 deliveries. The 350th Challenger 350 was delivered in July 2020. By the 2020s, second-hand Challenger 300s typically cost from $7 million to over $20 million. During 2021, Bombardier's list price for a new Challenger 350 was $26.7M. During 2022, the United States
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(FAA) ordered pilots to perform additional safety checks on the model after "multiple incidents" in which a
horizontal stabilizer A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabilizer, is a small lifting surface located on the tail ( empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplan ...
malfunctioned. In 2023, a passenger was killed by
blunt force trauma A blunt trauma, also known as a blunt force trauma or non-penetrating trauma, is a physical trauma due to a forceful impact without penetration of the body's surface. Blunt trauma stands in contrast with penetrating trauma, which occurs when an ...
in a Challenger 300 inflicted when a series of automated pilot instructions resulted in the stabilizer control system being turned off, causing the aircraft to pitch violently. On December 18, 2024, a Bombardier Challenger 300 with tail number LV-GOK, flying from Punta del Este, Uruguay landed in San Fernando airport, Buenos Aires, Argentina, went off course and crashed into a neighboring house, completely destroying the plane. Both crew members died as a consequence of the fire. No other people were on board.


Specifications


See also


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control 2000s Canadian business aircraft
Challenger 300 The Bombardier Challenger 300 is a range super mid-sized business jet designed and produced by the Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace. Development of the aircraft, originally called the Bombardier Continental, begun during th ...
Twinjets T-tail aircraft Aircraft first flown in 2001 Low-wing aircraft Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear