Third Continental enters flight-test program

A third super-midsize Continental last month entered flight testing with a 1 hr 53 min flight from Bombardier’s Wichita Flight Test Center. The aircraft is dedicated mostly to avionics testing, including the autopilot, yaw damper, flight management system, EFIS and Eicas. As of December 6, the first Continental had flown 136 hr on 54 flights since August 14. The second airplane completed its first flight on October 9 and had logged 37 hr in 12 subsequent flights as of December 7. Certification of the Continental is scheduled for the third quarter of next year.