Bombardier Challenger 600

Encyclopedia : B : BO : BOM : Bombardier Challenger 600

The Challenger 601 is used as a transport by the Canadian Forces.

The Bombardier Challenger is a family of business jets designed by Bill Lear and produced first by Canadair until that company was bought by Bombardier Aerospace in 1986.

Contents

1 Development
2 Variants

2.1 CL-600
2.2 CL-601
2.3 CL-604
2.4 CL-605
2.5 CL-610
2.6 Challenger 300 and 800

3 Specifications (CL-601-3A)

3.1 General characteristics
3.2 Performance

4 Military Operators
5 Related content
6 See also

Development

The aircraft was an independent design by Lear in 1976, who had resigned as Chairman of Lear Jet seven years previously. Originally dubbed the LearStar 600, Lear sold exclusive rights to produce and develop the design to Canadair, who renamed it the CL-600 Challenger.

While similar in general configuration to Lear's previous designs, notable changes were made that distinguished the new airplane from the Learjets, including the use of a widened fuselage that allowed a ‘walk-about cabin’, a feature not shared by any other business aircraft of the time.

On November 8 1978, the first prototype of the airplane took off for the first time. The first flight resulted in a disaster, the airplane crashing due to a deep stall, killing one of the test pilots (the other parachuted safely). The second and third prototypes flew in March that same year.

Despite the first flight’s crash, both Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States certified the airplane in 1980, albeit with both handing over some restrictions to pilots including a limited maximum take-off weight. A large program to reduce the airplane's weight was then implemented to improve the aircraft's range.

Variants

CL-600

CL-600 - original production version, powered by Avco Lycoming ALF-502L turbofans of 7,500 lbf (33.6 kN) thrust each. Built until 1983 (83 built)
* CL-600S - 76 CL-600s retrofitted with the winglets introduced on the CL-601-1A. 12 aircraft purchased by Canadian Forces Air Command for use in a variety of roles as the CC-144, CE-144, and CX-144.

CL-601

CL-601-1A - refined version including winglets to reduce drag and more powerful General Electric engines. (66 built, including 4 CL-144s)
* CL-601-1A/ER - 601-1A retrofitted with the 601-3R's additional fuel tank
CL-601-3A - further uprated engine and a glass cockpit. This was the first version marketed by Bombardier.
* CL-601-3A/ER - 601-3A retrofitted with the 601-3R's additional fuel tank
CL-601-3R - extended range version with an extra fuel tank added to the aircraft's tail

CL-604

CL-604 - major upgrade of the 601 design, incorporating more powerful engines, larger fuel supply, completely new undercarriage, structural improvements to wings and tail, and a new electronic flight instrumentation system.

CL-605

CL-605 - Introduced in early 2006 as an avionics and structural upgrade of the 604 design. Structural improvements include larger cabin windows. Cockpit instrumentation updated with new avionics displays and "electronic flight bag" capability.

CL-610

CL-610 Challenger E was to have been a stretched version with seating for 24 passengers. Development was halted by Canadair in 1981 without any having been built. A few years later, a new project would develop the Canadair Regional Jet based on a stretched Challenger design.

Challenger 300 and 800

see Bombardier Continental for the Challenger 300
see Bombardier CRJ for the Challenger 800

Specifications (CL-601-3A)

General characteristics

Crew: two pilots
Capacity: up to 19 passengers, depending on configuration
Length: 20.85 m (68 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 19.61 m (64 ft 4 in)
Height: 6.30 m (20 ft 8 in)
Wing area: 48.3 m² (520 ft²)
Empty: 9,292 kg (20,485 lb)
Loaded: kg ( kg)
Maximum takeoff: 19,550 kg (43,100 lb)
Powerplant: 2x General Electric CF-34-3A, 40.7 kN (9,140 lbf) thrust each

Performance

Maximum speed: 851 km/h (529 mph / Mach .84)
Range: 6,236 km (3,875 miles)
Service ceiling: 12,500 m (41,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 1,355 m/min (4,450 ft/min)
Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
Thrust-to-weight:

Military Operators

Australia, Canada, Croatia, China, Denmark, Germany, Malaysia,