Story ID: 383
Bombardier Builds on Challenger Family with 3500
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: Bombardier's new Challenger 3500 will succeed the 350 with new features such as voice-controlled CMS and Nuage seats.
Word Count: 1132
Bombardier has brought the mockup of its Challenger 3500 this week to NBAA-BACE as it marks the U.S. debut of the latest version of the venerable Challenger 300/350 family.

The Challenger 3500 provides a new look and branding for the super-midsize jet family that is in line with the Global nomenclature, borrows some high-end interior features from the airframer's flagship Global 7500, and adds new equipment, including an autothrottle. Stationed at Bombardier’s static display at Henderson Executive Airport (SD A709) the Challenger mockup features the bronze and gold livery on the airframe that the manufacturer used during the Global 5500/6500 launch.

The 3500 was first unveiled last month during an event in Montreal that drew nearly 250 local and industry leaders, customers, and the leadership and board of Bombardier, including chairman emeritus Laurent Beaudoin and chairman Pierre Beaudoin. It marks a culmination of upgrades made to the Challenger 300/350 family over the past decade that have included a quieter cabin, Ka-band availability, a head-up display, and enhanced vision.

Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel, who joined the current chairman in the launch ceremony, said the 3500 “features all the bestselling elements of the Challenger platform—impressive performance, consistent reliability, exceptional smooth ride—while elevating the cabin experience.”

Martel stressed the importance of preserving a competitive edge for the aircraft line, which was launched at the 1998 NBVAA show as the Continental, reached the market in 2003 as the Challenger 300, and in 2014 evolved into the Challenger 350.

Bombardier (Booth 901) has delivered close to 800 copies of the model, which frequently sits atop the delivery charts in its category. “We wanted to preserve that leadership,” Martel said, adding that the effort to do so has involved listening to customers "all the time” regarding the cabin and comfort.

To be available in the second half of 2022 at the same $26.7 million list price as the Challenger 350 that it will replace on the production line, the 3500 will introduce features such as voice-controlled cabin management and wireless charging. The aircraft will retain the engines, avionics, and performance of its predecessor super-midsize business jet. But the new autothrottle will ease control and pilot workload, said Mathieu St-Cyr, manager of sales engineering.

A Safe Flight autothrottle—integrated in collaboration with avionics provider Collins and its Ratier Figeac unit—will provide precise power management and speed control accuracy, enabling operators to take full advantage of the aircraft’s fuel efficiency and flight performance while providing additional safeguards, the company said.

The flight-test campaign is well underway and Bombardier—which said the system has “performed exceptionally well to date”—expects that all validations will be in hand in time for the 3500’s anticipated entry-into-service date next year.

The company said it took a holistic approach to the cabin, considering comfort, the connected passenger, wellness, styling, and sustainability.

“We wanted to make sure we embedded a lot of the newer technology that people expect these days in their cars and their home, such as wireless charging,” said Laurence Casia, manager of industrial design and cabin innovation. “There are a lot of amenities that are becoming expectations but are still rare in business aircraft. So, we're introducing a lot of those features. And we really wanted to emphasize comfort, not just for comfort's sake but also for productivity.”

This approach is particularly important for “concept” buyers—the non-fleet owners—and new buyers coming into the market, he said.

Bombardier is bringing its hallmark Nuage seats—introduced first in the Global 7500 and later in the Global 5500 and 6500—to the Challenger 3500. The seats use a patented tilt link system to provide a deep recline position for additional comfort, as well as a “floating base” for ease of movement and a tilted headrest.

Offered in four double-club configuration or with an optional divan replacing two of the seats, the Challenger 3500 Nuages are contoured, avoiding the boxy look found on traditional business jet seats and making the aisles seem wider. The seats are shaped to allow passengers to curl their feet underneath, which Casia said is a more natural way for customers to sit.

Pull-out drawers at either end of the divan can be used for storing drinks and snacks. The drawers are positioned so the passenger can easily open them without having to struggle to reach down.

Bombardier redesigned the forward galley, incorporating features such as a see-through wine cooler and crystal holder that are showcased as passengers board. The airframer altered the workspace to allow for a large espresso machine along with an oven, which can be hidden behind a trifold door.

Meanwhile, the cabin management system incorporates new capabilities such as voice-activated controls for everything from lighting to sound and media that can play on 24-inch 4K displays. Voice activation works through a CMS app on passengers' personal devices. Wireless charging pads are folded into side ledges adjacent to the forward-facing seats.

In addition, Bombardier is incorporating an approach to the sound system borrowed from the Global 7500. Its controls allow sound to be optimized for where a passenger is seated.

Bombardier is lowering the cabin altitude by 2,000 feet, to 4,850 feet, at FL410—a 31 percent improvement. The airframer accomplished this through reviews of technical materials and testing, as well as a reinforcement of the bulkhead.

Bombardier is marking its second full aircraft Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) with the Challenger 3500. It obtained its initial EPD for the Global 7500 in June 2020, a first in business aviation. Third-party verified to international ISO standards, the EPD discloses detailed information about CO2 emissions, noise, water consumption, and other key environmental-impact indicators.

Flight testing on the newest Challenger 3500 will be carbon neutral through the use of sustainable aviation fuel and carbon offsets.

Bombardier is offering an eco app for the Challenger 3500 developed by SITA to enable crews to optimize flight plans to reduce fuel burn. Using data from the aircraft’s health monitoring unit, which comes standard on the 3500, the app combines SITA’s eWAS Pilot and OptiFlight software. OptiFlight optimizes flights during climbout, cruise, and descent, while eWAS alerts to weather events. The 3500 is the first business jet application for eWAS and OptiFlight.

In addition, Bombardier is employing more sustainable materials in the cabin finishings. These include veneers from eucalyptus trees, which grow faster and require less water than most trees, as well as “upcycled” wool and polyesters that are reclaimed from manufacturing processes. Additional materials, such as flax and hemp, are under evaluation.

Bombardier folds in curves in the lines throughout the cabin as a nod to the Challenger winglet and incorporates the look and feel of high-end automobiles, Casia said.
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