Bombardier - CRJ100
The Canadair Group of Bombardier first considered stretching the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) into a 24-passenger airliner derivative in 1981, as part of the development of the original CL-600. It was not, however until 1987 that Canadair sent marketing teams out to 130 airlines around the globe to present them with a new airliner proposal based on what was by then their highly successful Challenger business jet. The proposal was for a twin-jet aircraft designed specifically for short haul regional airline operations which could economically cruise at Mach 0.8 and up to 37,000 feet (11,280m) with 50 passengers over ranges in excess of 1000nm (1610km). At the time, this was a pioneering and revolutionary concept as jets were generally seen as still too expensive for regional operations. The CRJ promised to enable regional carriers to: replace turboprops on longer routes; increase frequencies; introduce new non-stop services; and penetrate new smaller markets. Passengers would also like the CRJ as it was faster, quieter and smoother than existing regional aircraft. The CRJ featured a Challenger fuselage stretched by 5.92m, a new advanced wing of greater span and optimised for airline operations, an EFIS-equipped flight deck, fitted with the all digital Collins “ProLine 4” system and 6 CRT displays, additional fuel capacity, new undercarriage, higher weights (and the use of stronger materials and thicker gauge fuselage skin to accommodate them) and slightly more powerful powerplants. Buoyed by commitments for 120 aircraft from carriers, including launch customer Lufthansa CityLine, Comair, Skywest, and Air Littoral, Canadair launched the CRJ programme on 31 March 1989. The CRJ flew for the first time on 10 May 1991, with first delivery, on 29 October 1992, to Lufthansa CityLine, who placed the type into service in November 1992. Early in the development process Canadair decided to further develop the CRJ design to produce longer range variants, which became the CRJ100 ER (Extended Range) and CRJ100 LR (Long Range). The CRJ100 ER featured a maximum take off weight of 23,133kg and greater fuel capacity which gave the 100 ER a maximum range of 2623km. The CRJ100 LR was announced in March 1993, featuring further increases in maximum take off weight and range to 24040kg and 3519km, respectively. Launch customer for the LR, in September 1993 was Lauda Air of Austria who took their first aircraft on 20 January 1994
