Bombardier unveiled its Challenger 605late yesterday, the
first major redo of its best-selling, wide-cabin business jet since Challenger
604 deliveries began in early 1996. The latest iteration retains all of the
performance, flexibility and operating economy of the 604 and adds a completely
redesigned Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 cockpit, a new cabin interior with more
usable room, and several reliability improvements.
Notably, the standardization of popular Challenger 604
options in the Challenger 605 and a weight reduction program will reduce the
BOW of a typically equipped airplane by 200 lbs, boosting the tanks-full
payload by one passenger. The enhanced auto-throttle system, pulse lights,
enhanced FDR, aft baggage compartment steps, large cabin flat-panel monitors
and light are now part of the basic Challenger 605 package.
The Challenger 605's Pro Line 21 instrument panel has four
10-by-12-inch flat-panel displays that offer 55% more viewing area than the six
7.25-inch square Pro Line 4 CRTs installed in the Challenger 604. In keeping
with the latest business jet PFD design practice, the instruments have
edge-to-edge attitude indicators, with the air data tapes appearing as windows
on the display. The attitude indicator also has a flight path vector symbol,
plus an angle of attack indicator, similar to symbology used on HUDs. The
additional ADI symbology improves energy management awareness. TAWS, TCAS and
weather graphics can be displayed on the HSI portion of the PFD.
The MFDs also have considerably more capabilities because of
their size and screen resolution. All CAS messages, for instance, can be
displayed in a single column on the pilot's side MFD, and there's still plenty
of display real estate available for engine indications and radio tuning displays,
as shown in the accompanying cockpit photo. Electronic nav charts can be
displayed on both the MFDs and sidewall-mounted secondary control display
units, enabling the Challenger 605 to be certified for Class 3 EFB "paperless"
operations. Similar to the Global 5000 and XRS, the sidewall CDUs also can be
used to control cabin entertainment, lighting and systems functions.
Other standard avionics equipment includes Pro Line 21
digital radios, dual Honeywell LASEREF V IRUs and an upgraded radio altimeter,
plus improved digital ADCs and EGPWS. Radio tuning now is accomplished through
the FMS CDU keypads or concentric knobs on the side-rest mounted cursor control
panels (CCPs). The CCPs also are used to switch the weather radar display on or
off. The EFIS display panels are used to control range selection and antenna
tilt angle.
Smiths will supply a microsecond-precision GPS clock, with
GMT and elapsed and flight time functions, to be mounted in the center of the
instrument panel. A Thales solid-state, three-in-one integrated standby
instrument system replaces the trio of standby instruments found in the
Challenger 604's instrument panel. The goal is to improve avionics dispatch
reliability by at least 25% compared with the Challenger 604.
Avionics options included enhanced map graphics, 3-D flight
plan route depiction, and either XM radio or Universal Weather data-link
weather graphics. A third FMS, lighting detection system, long-range cruise FMS
software, a third IRS, a third VHF (required for Universal Weather data link)
and FAR Part 135 upgrade package also are available.
In the cabin, passengers will experience a new interior that
appears to be a scaled-down Global 5000. That aircraft's two-inch-taller windows have been
installed in the 605, and they're mounted 2.5 inches higher. Global-series
window reveals are fitted to the 605, thereby allowing more ambient light to
flood the cabin. This makes the cabin feel larger and it allows standing
passengers to see out the windows without bending down. Three basic floorplans
will be offered, all with forward galleys and aft lavatories.
First flight is slated for early 2006, with first customer
delivering in the second quarter of the following year.
