Bombardier completed first flight of the Challenger 605 large cabin business jet yesterday at the airframer's facilities at Montreal Trudeau international airport.

The aircraft made a 3h23min flight, leaving at 12:40. The 605 aircraft (MSN5701, pictured below) climbed steadily to reach an altitude of 41,000ft (12,496 m) and a speed of 420kt (780km/h). The aircraft's take-off weight was 17,550kg (38,730lb), of which 5,670kg was fuel.

605 first flight big

© Bombardier Aerospace

 


"It was a great flight. We spent over three hours in the air and the aircraft performed superbly," said captain Frank Magnusson, Challenger 605 test pilot.

The aircraft will conduct furthert initial flight tests before being moved to Bombardier's test facilities in Wichita, Kansas for a 200h flight-test programme.

Launched in November 2005, the Bombardier Challenger 605 succeeds the 604 model and is equipped with a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite and a redesigned interior featuring larger windows.

Bombardier says the flight was dedicated to testing "basic system functionality and assessing the handling and flying qualities of the aircraft. The first series of tests occurred in an initial altitude blocks of 5,000-15,000ft," and included handling qualities, flight control checks and avionics testing.

Source: Flight International