Commercial

Bombardier Inc Cl-600-2b16

Manufacturer: BOMBARDIER INC

The Bombardier Challenger 600 series is a family of low‑wing, twin‑engine business jets that evolved from Canadair’s LearStar 600 concept. Produced from 1986, the jets feature a supercritical wing, aft‑mounted turbofans, and a spacious cabin designed for executive transport.

Aircraft Facts

Type Key
bombardier-inc-cl-600-2b16
Class
Commercial
Registry Count
391
Example Registration
N100AC

Specifications

Wingspan
19.61 m / 64 ft
Length
20.85 m / 68 ft
Height
6.3 m / 20 ft
Range
7400 km / 4000 nmi
Ceiling
12000 m / 41000 ft
First Flight
1978-11-08
Production Start
1980
Total Built
1066

Aircraft Overview

History

Canadair began funding the LearStar 600 in 1975 and bought the design in 1976. The first prototype flew on 8 Nov 1978, but a fatal crash on 3 Apr 1980 halted testing. The CL‑600 received type certification in August 1980. Facing near‑bankruptcy, Canadair was bought by Bombardier in 1986, which continued production. The series later spawned the CRJ regional airliner and the Global Express. By 2018, 1,066 Challengers had been built.

Design

The Challenger is a low‑wing, twin‑jet with engines mounted in aft fuselage pods. It features a supercritical wing that allows short take‑offs while maintaining jetliner‑style cruise. The cabin is a walk‑about space with a stand‑up height of 6 ft 1 in. A T‑tail replaced the original conventional tail, and later variants added winglets and upgraded GE CF34 engines.

Variants

Key variants include the original CL‑600 powered by Lycoming ALF 502 engines; the CL‑601, which switched to GE CF34 turbofans and added winglets; the CL‑604, the best‑selling stretched model with larger fuel tanks; and the CL‑650, a further stretched version with upgraded avionics.

Operations

Challengers serve as executive transport for corporations, governments, and private owners worldwide. The fleet is concentrated in North America (611), Europe (151), Latin America (93), Asia‑Pacific (78), Africa (37), and the Middle East (23). They also support military and maritime patrol roles in some variants.

Notable Facts

  • First prototype flew on 8 Nov 1978.
  • A fatal crash on 3 Apr 1980 halted testing.
  • The CL‑600 received type certification in August 1980.
  • Bombardier bought Canadair in 1986, keeping the Challenger in production.
  • The CL‑604 is the best‑selling variant, with 360+ built by 2018.
  • By October 2018, 1,066 Challengers had been built.

Variants

  • CL-600-2B16- 391 registrations - Example N100AC

Machine-Readable Resources

Sources