CSeries First Flight Delayed another Month

Bombardier will fail to meet its end-of-June target for first flight of the CSeries, according to a statement issued by the company Wednesday. It now expects first flight to happen by the end of July.

“In order to enhance the effectiveness of the flight program, Bombardier extended the timeline slightly to allow for additional software upgrades for improved system maturity and functionality,” it said. Asked to elaborate, a Bombardier spokesman said the company has chosen not to disclose the nature of the software upgrades.

The company also announced it has finished ground vibration tests, as well us other unnamed software upgrades and corresponding tests of flight test vehicle 1 (FTV1). It has obtained Safety of Flight (SOF) statements from all its suppliers, and Bombardier’s flight test center has applied to Transport Canada for FTV1’s flight test permit.