Country of origin:

Canada

Description:

Long-range business jet

Power Plant:

Two 14,750 lbst BMW / Rolls Royce BR-710A2-20 turbofans

Specifications:

History:

In December 1986 Bombardier purchased Canadair from the Canadian Government, and launched the Challenger business jet program. In October 1989 it purchased Shorts, in 1990 Learjet, and in 1992 de Havilland Canada. It then proceeded to develop a number of projects, one of which was the CL-700, derived from the Challenger, which became the Global Express, to compete against the Falcon 900 and Gulfstream V.

The decision to launch the Global Express was made in December 1993, the aim being to produce an aircraft with a range of 12,040 km (7,481 miles) at a cruising speed of Mach 0.88. In that year Mitsubishi Heavy Industries joined the program as a risk-sharing partner, and assumed design and production of the wing and fuselage sections. BMW / Rolls Royce also became a risk-sharing partner and thus the BR710-48-C2 turbofan was initially chosen as the powerplant. With a crew of two and up to 18 passengers, the type proved very successful, with 80 aircraft ordered by late 1998.

Development of the new type was announced in October 1991 at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference in the US, officially being launched on 20 December 1993. Canadian Certification was granted on 31 July 1998.

The Global Express was fitted with a Primus 2000XP avionics suite and had six large high-resolution screens and dual flight management systems. Designed to meet ETOPS requirements, it had a new supercritical wing with a 35 degrees sweep, winglets, and a T-tail. At the roll-out 52 firm orders were in place, and production rate soon was up to one aircraft per month.

The aircraft had the range to fly from Tokyo in Japan to New York, USA, or London, UK, to Singapore non-stop in about 12 hours. The prototype C-FBGX (c/n 9001) was rolled out on 26 August 1996 and made its first flight on 13 October that year. Certification was received in 1998 and first deliveries occurred in 1998.

Canadair was the design leader and manufactured the nose; Shorts designed and manufactured the engine nacelles, horizontal stabiliser and forward fuselage; de Havilland at Downsview in Ontario, Canada was responsible for final assembly and buildt the rear fuselage and vertical tail; and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan constructed the wing and centre fuselage sections at Nagoya.

First of the type in this region, other than for overseas registered examples visiting, was a Model BD700-1A10 Global Express VH-VGX (c/n 9079 – ex N700AP, C-GHFB) registered to Pratt Holdings of Melbourne, VIC on 27 November 2002. VH-TGG (c/n 9143) was imported in March 2005 for Gandel Investments Pty Ltd of Essendon, VIC. In 2008 N37ZZ (c/n 9299), a BD-700-1A10, arrived for operation by Walker Air Services and was expected to become VH-LAW but continued to use the American registration; and a Global 5000 (BD-700-1A11) was delivered to the Talbot Group in Queensland as VH-KTG (c/n 9275).

Others which have had an Australasian connection have included: N18WF (c/n 9057), a Model BD-700, operated by Westfield Aviation Inc from August 2003 to July 2004; N700EG (c/n 9059) operated also by Westfield from January 2002 to March 2002, returning to the US as N18WF, and then returning to Australia again as N18WF from March 2002 to August 2003; N700BQ (c/n 9087) operated by Luft Aviation Pty Ltd from August 2002, later becoming N360LA. Another aircraft registered in the United States as N18WF (c/n 9129) was operated by Westfield Aviation from July 2004; and N18WZ was operated by Rank Services Ltd of Auckland, NZ. On 28 March 2011 a BD700-1A10 became VH-ZZH (c/n 9167) to Avwest Aircraft of Redcliffe, WA. A further example of the BD-700-1A10 became VH-FGJ (c/n 9163) to Pratt Aviation of Essendon, VIC.

Further examples have included a BD-700-1A10 registered as M-ATAR (c/n 9060 – ex C-GJDU) in the Isle of Man has been operated by Clive Palmer, a member for a period of the Australian Federal Parliament, particularly during his election campaign and the running of his party, the Palmer United Party [PUP Party]. By mid 2018 the aircraft had been exported. VH-CCV (c/n 9133), a BD-700 1A10, was registered on 18 March 2015 to Crown Melbourne Ltd, followed by VH-CCX (c/n 9225), also a BD-700 1A10, also registered to Crown Melbourne Ltd. Further examples were imported in June 2015, both being Model BD-700-1A10s, becoming VH-CCD (c/n 9297) for the Crown Casino, Melbourne, and VH-LZP (c/n 9007) for Linfox Global Charter.

The BD-700-1A11 became known as the Global 5000 with an 813 mm (32 in) reduction in fuselage length, a seating capacity of up to 19, and a reduction in range of 2,223 km (1,381 miles). The aircraft was announced in October 2001 and was built at the Bombardier aerospace facility in Toronto, Ontario. The aircraft were flown to Georgia or Illinois, USA for final completion. The first example of this model flew on 7 March 2003.

The Global 6000 was initially marketed as the Global Express XRS and this model offered a higher cruising speed, increased range and improvements in the cabin layout. The range increase was achieved by the installation of a fuel tank in the wing root. This model entered service in 2006.

Examples of the Global 6000 which have operated in this region have included VH-IEJ (c/n 9680) owned by the Bank of Utah of Salt Lake City and operated by ExecuJet Australia; VH-LEP (c/n 9654) owned by Linfox Global Charter and operated by Air National Australia; N599CH (c/n 9515) operated by AvWest Aviation of Cottesloe, WA; and VH-YAI (c/n 9817 ex C-FWVU) registered on 22 June 2018, owned by the Bank of Utah and operated by ExecuJet Australia Pty Ltd.

A Global 7500 was registered as VH-TGG (c/n 9368) in early 2020 for Gandel Investments.