Qantas Temporarily Removes Q400 From Service

Qantas today announced that five Bombardier Q400 ( Dash 8 ) aircraft operated by its regional airline QantasLink had been temporarily removed from service following an inspection by the airline of a main landing gear component.

Qantas Chief Executive Officer, Mr Alan Joyce, said the inspections, and subsequent action, were initiated by Qantas following incidents experienced by another Q400 operator overseas and after discussions with the manufacturer.

Does this remind you of anything? … The never-ending story of the Q400 gear problems …

Photo – Bombardier CSeries Fuselage Test Barrel

The first test component, a fuselage test barrel, for the new CSeries single-aisle aircraft, has been delivered to Bombardier’s Saint-Laurent, Quebec facility. The test barrel is representative of the main fuselage section of the upcoming CSeries aircraft. Its production and testing will demonstrate the manufacturing and engineering structural concepts before the aircraft’s final design phase begins in 2010. The CSeries aircraft’s entry into service is scheduled for 2013.

Bombardier CSeries Fuselage

The test barrel, which measures approximately 23 feet (7 m) long and has a maximum diameter of approximately 12 feet (3.7 m), is made of advanced aluminum alloys. These materials have been selected to provide weight and maintenance advantages for CSeries jetliner operators.

Built by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, a unit of China Aviation Industry, the test barrel left Dalian, China on July 20, 2009, traveled across the Pacific and then 2,500 miles from California to Quebec.

Over 10 per cent of the CSeries aircraft will be manufactured in China by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. Shenyang also supplies the empennage, as well as the aft and forward fuselage sections for Bombardier’s Q400 turboprop airliner.

Bombardier’s 110-seat and 130-seat CSeries aircraft will benefit from the latest technological advancements, including: fourth generation aerodynamics; increased use of composites and advanced aluminium alloys in structures; a next-generation engine – the Pratt & Whitney PurePowerTM PW1000G engine; and the very latest in system technologies, such as fly-by-wire and electric brakes.

Photo: Bombardier
Source: Bombardier

Flybe Receives Its 50th Bombardier Q400

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that U.K. airline Flybe has taken delivery of its 50th Bombardier Q400 turboprop airliner. The aircraft is equipped with the 1000th installation of Ultra Electronics’ Active Noise Control (ANC) system which is called the Active Noise and Vibration Suppression (ANVS) system on Q400 and other Bombardier Q-Series aircraft. Since the introduction of the ANVS system to Bombardier’s Dash 8 aircraft in 1996, the aircraft have been known as Q-Series airliners, signaling a new era in turboprop passenger comfort. The “Q” means quiet.

Flybe Bombardier Q400

Flybe, previously known as Jersey European, placed an initial order for four Q400 airliners in March 1999. Subsequent orders were announced in 2003, 2005 and 2007, confirming Flybe as the largest operator of the aircraft type. Flybe which operates 190 routes in 13 countries, carried 7.5 million passengers in 2008 and is now the largest regional airline in Europe.

“The Bombardier Q400 airliner has been the dominant factor in our growth and success,” said Jim French, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Flybe. “It has excellent operating economics, amazing performance, and the ANVS system contributes significantly to its outstanding passenger comfort.”

“Flybe operates the largest fleet of the world’s most technologically advanced turboprop,” said Gary R. Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The Q400 airliner is optimized for short-haul service and Flybe’s successful experience with our high-speed turboprop’s capabilities in European markets has set a standard which other airlines around the world can follow.”

Firm orders for the Q400 airliner have reached 347 aircraft, with 233 having been delivered as of January 31, 2009.

Source: Bombardier
Photo: Bombardier

Photos – Cockpit Fire Damage ASA Bombardier CRJ-200

Currently these pictures of a damaged CRJ-200 are making the rounds on the Internet. Unlike said in many forums and blogs, this damage was NOT caused by a lightning strike! Instead it was simply caused by a cockpit fire, probably due to an overheated electrical power relay.

Preliminary NTSB report:
ASA Airlines flight 5533, a Bombardier CRJ-200 – registration: N830AS, experienced a cockpit fire on the ground shortly after external power was applied to the airplane in preparation for flight. The captain and one flight attendant evacuated the airplane via an airstair without injuries. They were the only individuals on the airplane at the time. The fire department extinguished the fire after it had burned an approximate 18 inch hole through the left upper cockpit crown skin. The flight was to be flown from Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH), Tallahassee, Florida, to Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia.

ASA Airlines Bombardier CRJ-200 Cockpit Fire Damage
N830AS Bombardier CRJ-200 Cockpit Hole
ASA flight 5533 Cockpit Fire Damage

Photos: Unknown

20 Bombardier CSeries Aircraft Ordered by LCI

Bombardier Aerospace announced on Monday that Lease Corporation International Aviation Limited has signed a firm purchase agreement for three CS100 and 17 CS300 jetliners. The purchaser, which also took options on a further 20 CSeries aircraft, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lease Corporation International Limited (LCI). LCI is a privately owned aircraft leasing company that owns and leases planes to major airlines. LCI customers to date include Air France, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, British Airways, Finnair, GOL, Hainan Airlines, Hongkong Express, Iberia, Kingfisher Airlines, Oman Air, SAS, Shanghai Airlines, Shenzen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Spanair, TAP Portugal, Thomas Cook and Virgin Atlantic.

LCI Bombardier CS300

The 110-seat and 130-seat CSeries family of aircraft brings fourth-generation aerodynamics; increased use of composites and advanced aluminium alloys in structures; the very latest in system technologies, such as fly-by-wire, electric brakes, and a next-generation engine – the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1000G engine. PurePower represents a significant breakthrough in turbofan technology, especially on the environmental front where it will set new benchmarks from dramatically reduced fuel burn, noise, and emissions.

Source: Bombardier
Image: Bombardier

Lufthansa Group Orders up to 60 Bombardier CSeries Aircraft

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the launch customer for the CSeries aircraft program, has signed a firm purchase agreement for 30 CSeries model CS100 (formerly C110) aircraft. These aircraft will be operated by Lufthansa’s subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. The agreement also includes options on an additional 30 CSeries aircraft.

Swiss International Air Lines Bombardier CSeries

The Lufthansa Group became the launch customer for the CSeries aircraft family in July 2008 when it signed a Letter of Interest (LOI) for up to 60 aircraft, including 30 options.

“Our purchase agreement with Bombardier for CSeries aircraft is a renewal of Lufthansa’s commitment to commercial success balanced by environmental and business policies oriented toward sustainability and passenger comfort,” said Nico Buchholz, Senior Vice President, Corporate Fleet, Lufthansa. “We are proud to be the launch customer for the CSeries family of aircraft which meets our requirements for sustainable fleet development including significant reductions in fuel burn and noise, as well as offering flexibility for the future.”

“Having Lufthansa – known throughout the airline industry for its stringent engineering and technical standards – sign this purchase agreement for our CSeries aircraft, confirms their confidence in the airplane and the future of the program,” said Gary R. Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “We, at Bombardier, are delighted to have Lufthansa working with us from the beginning as we develop a family of aircraft designed specifically to meet the needs of the 100- to 149-seat market segment.”

Bombardier Aerospace also today announced the launch of new model designations for its CSeries family of aircraft. The 110-seat configuration (previously known as the C110 aircraft) will be designated the CSeries model CS100 aircraft and the 130-seat configuration (formerly the C130 aircraft) will be designated the CSeries model CS300 aircraft.

The 110-seat and 130-seat CSeries family of aircraft brings unmatched passenger comfort, performance, and operating economics, benefiting from the latest technological advancements, including: fourth-generation aerodynamics; increased use of composites and advanced aluminium alloys in structures; the very latest in system technologies, such as fly-by-wire, electric brakes, and a next-generation engine – the Pratt & Whitney PurePowerTM PW1000G engine. PurePowerTM represents a significant breakthrough in turbofan technology, especially on the environmental front where it will set new benchmarks from dramatically reduced fuel burn, noise, and emissions.

The CSeries family will enter into service in 2013.
The CS100 and CS300 aircraft models will share a new common centerline engine and have the same crew type rating, operating and maintenance procedures. Each of the aircraft models will also have operational flexibility to permit utilization on both short-haul and transcontinental routes.

Source: Bombardier
Photo: Bombardier

Ethiopian Airlines buys Eight Q400 NextGen

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Ethiopian Airlines has signed a contract to purchase eight Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners, and has taken options on four additional Q400 NextGen aircraft. Including this transaction, the Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft program has recorded firm orders for a total of 1,001 aircraft.

Ethiopian Airlines Bombardier Q400 NextGen

Ethiopian Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, made its first flight between Addis Ababa and Cairo via Asmara on April 8, 1946. Today, it operates a fleet of jet and turboprop aircraft to 33 African cities and a total of 20 international points in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America.

Source: Bombardier
Photo: Bombardier

Bombardier – First flight with an all electric braking system

Today, Bombardier Aerospace announced another milestone in the advancement of civil aviation: a Bombardier test aircraft executed a first flight equipped entirely with an all electric braking system – a civil aviation first. The testing lasted in excess of seven hours, included five landings and a series of high-speed braked ground runs. The Bombardier demonstator aircraft was equipped with Meggitt’s electric braking system – known as the EBrake®, and Messier-Dowty’s landing gear with electric brake wiring harnesses.
Bombardier - EBrake - electric braking system
Bombardier - EBrake - electric braking system
On board the test aircraft were engineering test pilots, Gary Bruce and Jeff Karnes, along with flight test engineer, Anthony Dunne. “We tested the Ebrake® system’s normal, emergency and park braking functionality during both ground and flight tests. It provided improved braking control in normal and emergency operating modes, resulting in tight centerline control even during maximum brake applications,” said Gary Bruce, Pilot in Command.

Electric braking is the next evolution in aerospace braking system technology for it couples brake-by-wire control with electric brake actuation. Bombardier’s strategic technology demonstrator aircraft was modified by removing its hydraulically actuated brake-by-wire control system. In its place, a complete electric brake-by-wire system, with fully integrated anti-skid protection, emergency and parking brake functions was installed.

The key benefits of this new technology are an expected increase in the aircraft’s dispatch reliability; elimination of brake system hydraulic leaks with associated fire risk; simplification of the aircraft’s manufacturing process; and reduced maintenance costs for airlines. In addition to these tangible aircraft level benefits, electric brake technology falls in-line with the industry evolution towards more electric aircraft providing a more fuel efficient, cleaner-burning aircraft and reducing the usage of toxic hydraulic fluids.

Earlier this month, on October 6, 2008, Bombardier and Meggitt announced they are collaborating to deploy the newest brake system technology available on Bombardier’s strategic technology aircraft. Featuring Meggitt’s electrically actuated carbon brake system – known as the EBrake® – this aircraft tested all the system’s capabilities, including normal, emergency and parking modes. Meggitt’s system will also remain on the aircraft for an extended period of time to validate the robustness and reliability of its design.

Source: Bombardier
Photos: Bombardier

Croatia Airlines orders Bombardier Q400

Bombardier Aerospace announced recently that Croatia Airlines has signed a contract to acquire two Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners. The airline has also taken options for an additional four aircraft. The transaction represents the conversion of two options taken for Q400 aircraft which was announced on June 4, 2007 when Croatia Airlines also placed a firm order for four Q400 aircraft. Two of those aircraft have already been delivered.

Croatia Airlines Bombardier Q400

Croatia Airlines is the Croatian flag carrier and a Star Alliance member.

Photo: Bombardier
Source: Bombardier

Austrian Airlines orders additional Q400s

Austrian Airlines has signed a contract to acquire four Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners. The airline has also taken options on an additional two aircraft. The aircraft will be operated by the regional airline of the Austrian Airlines Group, Tyrolean Airways – brand name Austrian arrows.

Austrian Airlines (Austrian Arrows) Bombardier Q400 NextGen

Austrian arrows’ current fleet includes 12 Bombardier Q300 and 10 Q400 turboprop aircraft, and 12 CRJ200 LR regional jets.

Photo: Bombardier