Bombardier Aerospace
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Bombardier Aerospace is a division of the Bombardier group. It is the third largest[1] aircraft company in the world in terms of yearly delivery of commercial airplanes (behind Boeing and Airbus).
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[edit] History
The aerospace division was launched with the 1986 acquisition of Canadair, at the time owned by the Government of Canada and a company that had recorded the then largest loss in history of any Canadian corporation. Politically, the Federal Government could not allow the Montreal, Quebec based company to close, and any hints that it might do so were met with media stories of the Government's Avro Arrow disaster.
After acquiring Canadair and restoring it to profitability, Bombardier acquired in 1989 the near-bankrupt Short Brothers aircraft manufacturing company in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This was followed in 1990 by the acquision of the bankrupt Learjet Company of Wichita, Kansas, builder of the world-famous Learjet business aircraft and finally the money-losing Boeing subsidiary de Havilland Aircraft of Canada based in Toronto, Ontario in 1992.[1]
[edit] Aircraft
Bombardier builds business jets, short-range airliners and fire-fighting amphibious aircraft and also provides defence-related services. Their aircraft were originally delivered with the same names as the original companies, but Bombardier has re-branded all of their current offerings under the Bombardier name.
The primary product line includes the Learjet and Challenger family of business jets developed from Lear designs, the CRJ series developed from the Challenger, the Q series turboprops developed from the de Havilland Canada Dash 8, and the Bombardier 415 water bomber, developed from the Canadair CL-215.
Both commercial aircraft models (the Dash-8 and CRJ) have similar 2x2 seating, overhead bin storage, lavatories, and galleys. The latest Dash-8 models have an advanced noise and vibration suppression (NVS) system that reduces noise considerably. This system has led to the adoption of the name "Q-Series." In this designation, the original aircraft name is shortened, using only the sub-designation of the aircraft model. For example, the de Haviland DHC-8-400 becomes the "Q400", with the "Q" standing for "Quiet."
These aircraft are selling well and are enabling some less popular routes to be profitably served by scheduled air services with relatively low environmental impact at the airports. They have recently mounted and endured some unusual legal battles with a key competitor Embraer of Brazil focused upon allegations of unfair state assistance in export markets.
The amphibious fire-fighting aircraft is the CL-415, with a derivative amphibious utility aircraft. The CL-415 is a CL-215 equipped with turboprop engines and other upgrades.
Each model is available in different versions:
[edit] Business Jets
| Aircraft | Description | Seats | Launch date | 1st flight | 1st delivery | Scheduled to cease production |
| Bombardier Learjet 40 XR | private jet | 2-7 | ||||
| Bombardier Learjet 45 XR | private jet | 2-9 | ||||
| Bombardier Learjet 60 XR | private jet | 8-10 | June 1991 | |||
| Bombardier Learjet 85 | private jet | 8-10 | October 2007 | |||
| Bombardier Challenger 300 | private jet | 8-16 | 1999 | 2004 | ||
| Bombardier Challenger 600 | private jet | 2-19 | 1976 | 1975 | 1986 | |
| Bombardier Challenger 605 | private jet | 5-12 | 2005 | 2006 | ||
| Bombardier Challenger 850 | private jet | 5-19 | ||||
| Bombardier Global 5000 | private jet | 8-18 | 1993 | 1996 | ||
| Bombardier Global Express XRS | private jet | 8-19 | 2003 | 2005 |
[edit] Canadair Regional Jets
| Aircraft | Description | Seats | Launch date | 1st flight | 1st delivery | Scheduled to cease production |
| CRJ100 | regional jet | up to 50 | 1992 | |||
| CRJ200 | regional jet | up to 50 | 2005 | |||
| CRJ700 | regional jet | 64-75 | January 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | |
| CRJ900 | regional jet | 86-90 | 2002 | 2003 | ||
| CRJ1000 | regional jet | up to 100 | February 19, 2007 |
[edit] CSeries
While Bombardier had studied the 85-120 seat BRJ-X aircraft in the mid-1990s, it was passed over in favor of the CRJ-900. The shelved project was later revived, and reformulated into the Bombardier CSeries. But Bombardier again placed the CSeries on hold, and announced on 18 February 2006 that it would begin work on the 100-seat CRJ-1000. Since then, Bombardier has continued working on the CSeries, which may be launched at the Farnborough International Air Show in July 2008. [2]
[edit] Turboprops
The Q series is the latest iteration of the De Havilland Canada Dash 8. The Q Series is manufactured in Toronto; the Q stands for "quiet".
| Aircraft | Description | Seats | Launch date | 1st flight | 1st delivery | Scheduled to cease production |
| Bombardier Aerospace Q100 | turbo prop | 33-37 | 1984 | |||
| Bombardier Aerospace Q200 Enhanced engines; "Hot/High" version of the -100 | turbo prop | 33-37 | 1986 | 1989 | ||
| Bombardier Aerospace Q300 Stretched -100 series | turbo prop | 48-50 | 1989 | |||
| Bombardier Aerospace Q400 Features 6-blade, high speed turboprops | turbo prop | 68-78 | 1998 | 2000 |
The Bombardier 415 (formerly Canadair CL-415) is an amphibious aircraft purpose-built as a water bomber. It is the only aircraft designed and built specifically for aerial firefighting, and is based on the company's CL-215.
[edit] Government Subsidization Controversy
Both Embraer and its main competitor, Bombardier, were engaged in a subsidy dispute in the late 90s and early 2000s. It was found by the World Trade Organization (WTO), in a 2000 ruling, that Embraer has received illegal subsidies from the Government of Brazil. In its ruling, the WTO ordered Brazil to eliminate its Proex export subsidies program, which was found to aid Embraer.[3] On October 19, 2001, the WTO ruled against Canada, just as it had ruled against Embraer, over low interest loans from the Canadian government designed to aid Bombardier in gaining market share.[4]
[edit] Aircraft deliveries
| Year | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number Of Deliveries | 337 | 326 | 361[5] |
Fiscal year ends January 31st.
[edit] Bombardier Facilities
BOMBARDIER MANUFACTURING FACILITIES
St-Laurent, Québec, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Wichita, Kansas, USA
BOMBARDIER COMPLETIONS CENTRES
Montréal, Québec, Canada
Wichita, Kansas, USA
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER (OEM) SERVICE CENTRES
Belfast, Northern Ireland (components MRO only)
Bridgeport, West Virginia, USA
Dallas, Texas, USA
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Tucson, Arizona, USA
Wichita, Kansas, USA
Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services (LBAS)*, Berlin, Germany
- Joint venture with Bombardier Inc., Lufthansa Technik AG and ExecuJet Aviation Group.
Sydney, Australia
Tokyo, Japan (fully operational 2007)
As Of January 31, 2008 Bombardier Aerospace has 28104 employees,
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Business demand lifts Bombardier deliveries
- ^ http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080605.wrbombardier05/BNStory/Business/home
- ^ Embraer: The Sky's the Limit
- ^ WTO rules against Canada over low-interest loans for Bombardier deal
- ^ Bombardier turboprop shipments outstrip jets
Commercial Aircraft and Airline Markings by Christopher Chant.
[edit] External links
- Bombardier Aerospace
- Year of Learjet website
- Learjet 85 website
- Bombardier Business Aircraft
- Bombardier Regional Aircraft
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