Engineering news
Canadian planemaker Bombardier will make the long awaited unveiling of its flagship CSeries jet at the Paris air show this week, following a protracted development programme that has been dogged by flight test delays.
The success of the 100- to 150-seat CSeries is crucial for the British aerospace sector. The wings for the family of planes are made at Bombardier's plant in Northern Ireland, directly employing 800 workers, with another 2,000 in the supply chain.
Bombardier hopes Paris will be a turning point in the CSeries programme, as it looks to challenge the stranglehold that Boeing and Airbus have on the market for larger civil aircraft.
The Canadian company said today that based on flight tests results, its CS100 and CS300 aircraft had exceeded their original targets for fuel burn, payload, range and airfield performance. In addition, the CSeries family is on track to meet noise performance targets, making them the quietest commercial jets in production, said the company.
The CSeries aircraft's maximum range has been confirmed to be up to 3,300 NM (6,112 km), some 350 NM (648 km) more than originally targeted. The aircraft is delivering more than a 20% fuel burn advantage compared to in-production aircraft, and a greater than 10% advantage compared to re-engined aircraft, said Bombardier.
Fred Cromer, president, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, said: “The CSeries performance is better than advertised – while offering a best-in-class cabin, and carrying up to 15 passengers more than initially promised. This will provide increased profitability and market access for operators, along with convenience and comfort for passengers.”
Bombardier has also placed considerable emphasis on cabin design, claiming that the CSeries aircraft’s larger seats, overhead bins and windows would create a wide-body feel currently unrivalled in the market.
The aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1500G engine, which features a gear system separates the engine fan from the low pressure compressor and turbine, allowing each of the modules to operate at their optimum speeds. This enables both an increase in the diameter of the fan and the low pressure compressor and turbine to operate at a high speed. The increased efficiency is also enhanced by having 2,000 fewer airfoils and six fewer stages – hot section parts that traditionally require more maintenance.
Bombardier has booked orders and commitments for 603 CSeries aircraft, which include firm orders for 243.