The 50-seat CRJ100 aircraft served Lufthansa’s hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, and Hamburg, serving cities in Western Europe, replacing Fokker 50 turboprops and later developed new markets. Even then, new aircraft consumed an average of eight percent less fuel than originally forecast, resulting in significant annual cost savings. In the CRJ’s first 100 days in airline service, the aircraft flew 1,237 flights with 99 percent dispatch reliability - a remarkable achievement for a brand-new aircraft. 2 - marking an exciting new chapter in aviation history. The first 50-seat Bombardier CRJ100 aircraft was handed over to Lufthansa CityLine in October 1992, and entered revenue service between Frankfurt and Barcelona on Nov. 15, 1993, followed by FAA certification on July 21, 1993.
The aircraft was certified by Transport Canada on July 31, 1992, then by JAA (now EASA) on Jan. The sales effort was greatly enhanced in March 1992 when Bombardier completed its acquisition of de Havilland Canada from Boeing Commercial Aircraft, and in July formed Bombardier Regional Aircraft Division which was headquartered in Toronto.
The standard interior configuration included two-by-two seating with a comfortable 31-inch (78.7 centimeter) pitch separated by a central aisle six-foot (1.83-m) stand-up headroom a forward galley rear baggage compartment and a rear lavatory. The CRJ capitalized on the increased competition between major airlines at the federal level, the range limitations of turboprops, a public preference for turbofan aircraft, and the lower cost of developing an airliner based on an existing business jet (CL- 600 type certificate) - rather than investing hundreds of millions of dollars in a clean sheet aircraft design. Canadair organized a lavish rollout event on May 6 for its customers, suppliers, government leaders, the media and its employees at the new Challenger and Canadair Regional Jet factory.
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The Canadair Regional Jet Series 100 aircraft was launched on March 31, 1989, with orders for 56 aircraft and six options. One of those original customers was DLT of Cologne, Germany, which in March 1992 was renamed Lufthansa CityLine and then became a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa in 1993. But there was also a lot of uncertainty about whether Canadair would be successful, since the CRJ cost considerably more than a 50-seat turboprop. The aviation reporters in attendance - including myself - had a strong sense that Canada was about to enter a brand-new commercial aviation market. The VIP guests at the time included Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa, Bombardier chairman Laurent Beaudoin, Canadair president Bob Brown, and Canadair Regional Jet Division president Robert Wohl. 2, followed by a third used for function and reliability testing.Ĭanadair organized a lavish rollout event on May 6 for its customers, suppliers, government leaders, the media and its employees at the new Challenger and Canadair Regional Jet factory - built just east of the Air Canada maintenance center in the infield of Dorval airport. On July 16, the prototype relocated to the joint flight test center in Wichita, Kansas - created when Bombardier bought Learjet. The CRJ took off for a second flight in the late afternoon, and was scheduled to fly up to 35,000 ft (10,668 m) as the crew continued examining the flight envelope. Airline crews and their passengers are going to love the Canadair Regional Jet’s quiet cabin and high cruise speed.” It performed very well throughout all areas of the flight envelope we explored. Upon landing at Canadair’s Cartierville Airport, Atkins stated: “The aircraft flies splendidly. The one hour and 25-minute flight with landing gear extended was accompanied by a Canadair Challenger 601 chase plane and flew to Canadair’s designated flight test area 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of Montreal.
The prototype Canadair Regional Jet lifted off Runway 24L from Montreal International Airport (YUL) on the morning of May 10, 1991. Piloted by Doug Adkins, Canadair’s chief test pilot and director of flight operations, and co-pilot Don Stephen, the inaugural flight lasted one hour and 25 minutes, reaching an altitude of 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) and a top speed of 220 knots. Powered by a pair of General Electric CF34 turbofans, the 50-passenger jet (Serial 7001, C-FCRJ) lifted off Runway 24L from Montreal International Airport (YUL) at 9:45 a.m. Estimated reading time 18 minutes, 34 seconds.Ĭanadian aviation history was made 30 years ago today when the prototype Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) made its first flight on May 10, 1991, just four days after the innovative aircraft rolled out before 1,800 employees and guests by the Canadair Group of Bombardier, Inc.