Troubled Bombardier CSeries returns to the skies
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Bombardier’s new CSeries aircraft resumed flight testing on Sunday.
The new fuel-efficient aircraft took to the skies above Quebec on 7 September for the first time since 29 May, when one of the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney engines suffered a major failure during a ground test.
The Canadian planemaker said the latest test flight had been undertaken following an “in-depth review and analysis” of the incident.
“We are pleased to see the CSeries aircraft back in the air. The geared turbofan engine has over 10,000 hours of ground and flight testing and we’re confident that it will enter into service meeting or exceeding the fuel burn, emissions, thrust and noise specifications, as promised by Pratt & Whitney,” said Rob Dewar, vice president of the CSeries programme.
“Aircraft flight test programmes are complex and involve extreme testing meant to draw out any potential issues and correct them prior to entry-into-service,” he added.
The CSeries was initially intended to enter service this year, but a series of problems has forced Bombardier to push back the aircraft’s commercial launch until the second half of 2015.
Two types of the aircraft, the CS100 and CS300, are being developed, the larger of which is expected to compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
To-date, Bombardier has received commitments for 513 CSeries aircraft, including more than 200 firm orders.
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