Bombardier has inducted the first customer-owned Global 7500 into its completion centre in Dorval, Montreal, as the ultra-long-range business jet, previously named the Global 7000, moves closer to certification and service entry scheduled for the second half of this year.
Bombardier says it has been building and assembling complete interior sets – including kitchens, stateroom beds, dining furniture and its luxury Nuage seats – for multiple customer aircraft since the centre's inauguration late last year.
The airframer describes the completion process for the Global 7500's 33.9m (111ft)-long cabin as "modular", and says its bespoke test rig is key to the validation and installation effort for the high-end, four-zone interior.
Bombardier
Chief operating officer Paul Sislian says the rig allows Bombardier to conduct all major fit and finish adjustments to the interior in advance of its installation in the aircraft. "This process significantly reduces our completions cycle time, and will ensure a smooth entry into service and an exceptional product right from the start," he says.
To free up capacity for the 7,700nm (14,200km)-range Global 7500 in Dorval, Bombardier will transfer completions activity for the super-large Global 5500 in the second half of this year to its US facility in Wichita, Kansas.
Wichita already houses manufacturing, final assembly and completion facilities for the Learjet 70/75 light business jet family. The site is also home to Bombardier's flight-test centre, where the Global 7500 certification campaign is in full swing. So far, the five-strong, GE Aviation Passport-powered flight-test fleet has amassed over 2,300h, says Bombardier.
The company plans to deliver a couple of the $75 million aircraft in 2018, and 20 next year, before ramping up to full production of about 40 units per year in 2021.
Source: Flight International
