Bombardier refines 90-seater

Guy Norris/PALM SPRINGS

Bombardier has refined its plans for the proposed BRJ-X regional jet family and says a launch decision is likely to be taken around October 1999, pending the conclusion of a solid business case.

Bombardier is now outlining plans for two main family members, a 90-seater BRJ-X-90 and a 100-plus seat BRJ-X-110. This represents a slight shift upwards in size from the earlier 80-seat configurations announced when the BRJ-X was revealed at the Farnborough air show in September (Flight International, 16-22 September), and is a result of input from Bombardier's airline advisory group.

The BRJ-X is aimed at the 80/110-passenger market niche between Bombardier's existing CRJ-700 and the larger Airbus A318/A319 and Boeing 717. Bombardier predicts a market for up to 2,500 aircraft in this category over the next 20 years and believes its baseline design has the edge at the upper end over the 717 and A319 "-because it is lighter and more fuel efficient", according to the company's programme strategy senior manager, Gregory Mutch.

Pending go-ahead at the end of 1999, the company plans to execute a speedy 36-month development and certification effort, and the configuration will be frozen by launch:"All the partners will be on-board by launch and we intend to capitalise on supplier know-how to reach earlier product definition." Commenting at the Speednews regional and corporate aviation conference in Palm Springs, Mutch says the shorter development cycle will be based around a Joint Concept Definition Phase similar to that employed for the development of the 70-seat Canadair Regional Jet 700.

The baseline design will have a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.84, with a normal cruise speed of about M0.8. Range is estimated at around 2,800km (1,500nm) with optional fuel packages available to extend range to 4,625km. Although commonality with the CRJ-700 in areas such as flightdeck and systems is expected, Mutch says: "We will let the airlines tell us how much they really want."

Bombardier expects to complete joining of the first CRJ-700 test fuselage soon and will finish detailed definition by the end of December. The structure comprises the mid-fuselage from the UK's Shorts, the aft fuselage from Japan's Mitsubishi and the vertical and horizontal stabilisers from Canada's Avcorp. First flight is still on track for June 1999, with certification due in October 2000 and first deliveries in January 2001.

Source: Flight International