BOMBARDIER HAS begun flight-testing of the second Global Express long-range business jet. The 3h 7min first flight took place on 3 February, from the Canadian company's de Havilland plant in Toronto, Ontario.
Flight-testing is scheduled to continue at Toronto until late February, when aircraft 9002 is to be flown to Bombardier's flight-test centre at Learjet in Wichita, Kansas, to join the first Global Express, aircraft 9001. Some 130h have been logged on more than 45 flights of the first prototype since its maiden flight in October 1996, with the aircraft having reached Mach 0.9 and 49,400ft (15,000m) during flutter testing.
The first Global Express is assigned to performance testing. Aircraft 9002 will be used primarily for systems testing, but is fully instrumented and available as a back-up to the first prototype.
Aircraft 9003 is scheduled to enter the flight-test programme in April, and will be assigned to avionics testing. Aircraft 9004, the fourth flight-test aircraft and the first to be outfitted with an interior, is now being assembled, as is aircraft 9005, the first customer aircraft, which is scheduled for delivery to Bombardier's Montreal completion centre in late 1997.
Source: Flight International
