Bombardier CSeries update

The first Bombardier CSeries airliner returned to flight 6 November after its wing was repaired and engines were modified.  But while flight testing is finally gathering momentum after delays, the Canadian manufacturer said it will not ramp up the production line until mid-2015 at the earliest.

FTV1 is the third CSeries to return to flight after the fleet was grounded 29 May following failure of its Pratt and Whitney geared turbofan during ground testing.

The three aircraft now flying have logged more than 120 hours since flight testing resumed 7 September for a total of more than 450 hours since the first flight of the CSeries on 16 September 2013.

FTV1 returned to flight after repairs to its composite wing, damaged when the engine’s low-pressure turbine came apart.  The PW1500G has now been fitted with a modified oil lubrication system.

Bombardier is dividing flight testing between Mirabel, (near Montreal, Canada), and Wichita (Kansas, USA), in a bid to avoid weather-related delays experienced last winter and make up time lost in certification testing.

Bombardier still expects to certify the 110-seat CS100 in the second half of 2015, after about 2,400 flight hours.  But the company said that is an estimate, and certification could be completed in fewer hours.  The plane has 243 firm orders.  www.bombardier.com/en/aerospace/commercial-aircraft.html

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