Aircraft Directory

About the Challenger 300

Bombardier’s Challenger 300 aircraft was the first in the super-midsize business jet category to challenge the standard with its clean-sheet design.

The project was launched at the Paris Air Show on July 13, 1999, at which time it was called the Bombardier Continental. It was a “clean sheet” design, assembled in Bombardier’s Learjet plant at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, Kansas. The jet was renamed in September 2002 after much debate about which category (Learjet, Challenger, or Global) the new aircraft fit into. It entered commercial service in January 2004.

Cabin Configuration

The Challenger 300 has a large cabin and is high-performing. It falls into the “super-midsize” private jet class, along with jets like the Citation X and the Gulfstream G200. It can fly eight passengers coast-to-coast nonstop and was designed to have low direct operating costs – making it a strong contender for the new super-midsize private jet category.

The cabin of the Challenger 300 fits eight or nine passengers in a double-club configuration (three seats can be swapped out for a 3-person divan if desired). All of the passenger seats are fully adjustable and have fold-out tables and individual AC power plugs. Two-zone air conditioning keeps both the pilots and the passengers comfortable, and low-heat LED overhead lights (with a 10,000-hour life) give the cabin an open feel. The cabin itself stretches to a length (not including the cockpit) of 16.5 feet, a height of 6.1 feet, and a width of 7.2 feet. The 106 cubic feet of baggage (750 pounds) stored in an exterior compartment is accessible in-flight through the fully enclosed lavatory. A forward luggage closet can be added as well.

The real draw of the Challenger 300 is its range/payload capabilities. It can fly eight passengers 3,560 miles (3,100 nautical miles) at .80 Mach – quite a feat for a jet of its class. This private jet can take off at 4,810 feet and climb to a cruise altitude of 37,000 feet in fourteen minutes. It can comfortably cruise at a level above most bad weather and air traffic with a flight ceiling of 45,000 feet.

Speed & Efficiency

The Challenger 300’s top cruise speed is .82 Mach (470 ktas), but it usually flies at about .80 Mach (459 knots) and burns 1,577 pounds of fuel per hour. It uses two Honeywell HTF 7000 turbofan engines, flat rated to 6,826 pounds of thrust each. It also has a fairly high maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 38,850 pounds.

The aerodynamic structure of the Challenger 300 was fine-tuned with the help of a supercomputer program that created 3-D models of the transonic airflow around the wing and fuselage. Most of the jet is made of aluminum. It uses high-intensity-discharge xenon landing lights (the only super-midsize jet to do so) that have a life of more than 10,000 hours. A new troubleshooting software system is included with the jet, which offers mechanics step-by-step instructions on finding and fixing problems, cutting down on maintenance time and labor costs.

Onboard Avionics

The Challenger 300 uses the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics system, with four 12×10 inch LCD screens. The EICAS (Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System) comes standard, which gives engine performance information such as fuel flow, oil and turbine temperatures, torque, visual deicing, and environmental control information. Other systems include the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) and the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II). Important functions such as engine startup are almost completely automated.

The Challenger 300 is a solid private jet that will consistently deliver high performance and economy of operation. It was designed to be easy to operate and easy to maintain, so it will not encounter difficulties in regularly completing cross-country flights.

Challenger 300 Aircraft Data

ICAO Code: CL30
Manufacturer: Bombardier Aerospace
Class: Business jet
Model Types: 300, 350
Crew: 2
Passengers: Up to 16 passengers (normally 8)
Engines: Honeywell HTF7000
Max Speed: 891 km/h (554 mph; 481 kn)
MTOW:17,000 kg
Max Range: 5,741 km (3,567 mi; 3,100 nmi) at 0.78 Mach
Max Flight Level: 13,716 m (45,000 ft)

RocketRoute added advanced performance data for the following profiles: