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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 0585.PDF
Cover story: CRJ900 flight test The CRJ900 addition allows Bombardier to offer one aircraft family, ranging from 40 to 90 seats. In the same way that Airbus has sought to achieve with its A320 series, the CRJ family allows seat capacity to be tai lored to specific market demands. Com mon crew qualification reduces training costs, while increasing crew scheduling flexibility. Common ground support equip ment and spares further reduces costs. Operating costs But where the CRJ900 shines is in direct operating costs. In the North American market, based on a nominal 925km (500nm) stage-length, the 86-seat CRJ900 is projected to have an 11% lower cost per available seat mile than the CRJ700. It will be 21% cheaper to operate than the CRJ200, says Bombardier. In the European environment, savings are almost as dra matic: 9% less than the CRJ700 and 18% less than the CRJ200. In preparation for our flight, Bombardier test pilot Chuck Ellis led the walk-around of the second CRJ900, C-GRNH, represen tative of aircraft to be delivered to launch customer Mesa Airlines in the first quarter of next year. During the routine pre-flight, Ellis pointed out two small ventral strakes below the tail section. Added to increase directional stability of the stretched air frame, they had another unplanned bene fit: the strakes act as vortex generators, energising airflow over the tail section and reducing drag. Noise from the tail-mounted auxiliary power unit (APU) was low. Three cargo doors on the fuselage's left-hand side are easily accessible from ground level, and should lead to rapid turnarounds. Integral stairs on the forward entry door lead to the cabin, allowing operations at fields without ground support equipment. The cabin had 86 seats in a four-abreast single-class configuration. The addition of a third seat rail will allow operators to install premium class seating, giving the option of employing the CRJ900 on routes previously reserved for mainline jets. An aisle 1.89m height should allow passengers easy access up and down the single aisle. The redesigned overhead bins, while not as The CRJ900 large as those of a A320 or Boeing 737, are addition larger than on most commuter aircraft. allows Entry to the flightdeck is via a full-size Bombardier lockable door, not a trivial consideration in to offer one today's environment. Once settled in the aircraft four-way adjustable left seat I found the family, cockpit to be well arranged. Field of view ranging from out of the four windows was good. The 40 to 90 small overhead panel contains controls for seats aircraft systems and is logically laid out. The instrument panel is dominated by the six cathode ray tubes (CRTs) of the "The CRJ900 is projected to have an y«»w available seat mile than the CRJ700" www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 26 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH 2002 33
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