Fri, Sep 13, 2002
Shows Up Less Than A Week After First Flight
The first production Bombardier Learjet 40 has
capped a week of incredible accomplishments by making a surprise
visit to the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando,
Florida, less than a week after its first flight. The newest member
of the Bombardier Learjet family arrived at Orlando Executive
Airport at 6:44 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, barely five days
after completing a 2 hour and 56 minute first flight from
Bombardier’s Flight Test Center facilities in Wichita, Kan.
last Thursday, September 5.
The aircraft was cleared for the unprecedented flight from
Wichita to Orlando after completing a total of 7.7 hours of testing
to verify systems and ensure that all safety of flight issues had
been met satisfactorily. Pete Reynolds, vice-president, flight
test, Bombardier Aerospace, Doug May, engineering test pilot,
Bombardier Aerospace, and Eric Nordberg, flight test engineer,
Bombardier Aerospace, made the trip to the 55th annual gathering of
the business aircraft community in 2 hours and 39 minutes, climbing
to an altitude of 51,000 ft. (15,545 m) for most of the flight. Due
to flight test restrictions they were limited to a top cruising
speed of 270 knots or Mach 0.72.
“Our normal flight test procedures call for
us to build time on a new aircraft design within a local test area
before making cross country trips,” Mr. Reynolds pointed out.
“But the Bombardier Learjet 40 has already established some
new developmental milestones in its first month. The prototype,
serial number 45-001, flew for the first time on August 31. It was
followed six days later by this airplane, the first production
model, which made its first flight on September 5.
“Both aircraft have handled predictably and we’ve
had very few squawks. When the suggestion that we fly to Orlando
was first made, we presented the prospect to the FAA and they have
worked closely with us to ensure that all critical safety of flight
and test requirements were met. The flight itself confirmed our
confidence in the airplane and in all of the people who have worked
so hard for months to allow us to realize such extraordinary
goals,” he added. The Bombardier Learjet 40 production
aircraft remained on static display along with the
Bombardier’s other aircraft through the duration of the NBAA
Convention.
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