STATUS REPORT

tatus Report:
S Global Express
The clash of the titans officially begins,
with heavy-iron rule in the next
millennium at stake.

By FRED GEORGE
August 1994, Document No. 2400 (11 pages)

Bombardier’s December 20, 1993 news release, pro- global economy and growth of free enterprise. “Global
claiming the official launch of the Global Express, creat- businesses will continue to chase margins and look for
ed plenty of fervor in the general aviation industry. It cheaper labor markets, while business people will need
wasn’t just another new product announcement. It was face-to-face meetings,” he explained.
an unequivocal challenge to Gulfstream Aerospace for The typical customer profile varies extensively.
the title of “Heavy-Iron King” of business aircraft. Prospects include entrepreneurs, overseas companies
This isn’t the first time a challenger has attempted to and traditional top industrial firms, although large U.S.
knock off Gulfstream for the super-heavyweight title. corporations now very cautiously approach new heavy-
Others, including firms with prodigious aircraft manu- iron aircraft acquisitions. Customers are more sophisti-
facturing experience, have attempted to become the cated than in past years, according to Moss. They
favorite builder of flying flagships for the top industrial plunge into intense discussions of operating costs,
companies, foreign governments and eminently success- extended twin-engine operations (ETOPS) reliability and
ful entrepreneurs during the last 30 years. product support. Long gone are six-pack martini lunches
None has succeeded. and sales contracts penciled out on cocktail napkins.
Bombardier, the family-operated, Canadian trans- Moss conservatively expects to sell 250 Global
portation conglomerate that has only been in the air- Express aircraft to such buyers. Canadair currently has
craft business since 1986, now has embarked on this more than 40 orders and options for the GEX (short for
daunting mission. Bombardier’s Canadair subsidiary Global Express), representing more than $1.2 billion in
will design, develop and assemble the Global Express sales. Certification and initial deliveries of green air-
for Bombardier. The aircraft, carrying Bombardier’s craft are slated for late 1997, but the earliest available
own BD-700 model designation rather than wearing GEX delivery slot is in the first quarter of 2000.
the Canadair label, will be the largest cabin business Next, look at Bombardier CEO Laurent Beaudoin’s
aircraft ever built and Bombardier’s contender for titan- track record during the last 14 years. (See sidebar.)
class champion. Beaudoin’s skilled team of financial managers now is
What are Bombardier’s odds of success? Here are directly involved with the Global Express project
some factors to consider: First, Bryan Moss, Canadair’s Canadair began in 1991. Beaudoin, mindful of the
business aircraft division president, believes a market need to reach break-even early in the program, has
exists for 550 to 800 ultra-long-range, large-cabin busi- formed major risk-sharing partnerships with outside
ness aircraft, a feeling largely fueled by the increasing companies. Also, he has meted out tasks for building
COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
 Status
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R
the GEX among Bombardier’s
own aircraft companies—
Canadair, Short Brothers, Lear- isk-Sharing Partners
jet and possibly de Havilland.
The result: The program will Partnerships are a key part of Bombardier’s strategy for building the
break even when the 100th GEX. The team approach allows the $1-billion GEX development program costs
GEX is sold, Moss claimed. to be spread among a sizable number of partners outside the company. All the
The third factor is aerody- outside vendors are long on expertise, and they have the financial backing to
namic sophistication. In spite share $600 million in development costs.
of having the roomiest cabin Bombardier, however, didn’t just sign up the first qualified partner to run up the
ever offered in a business air- flag. Instead, the firm orchestrated fierce competitive bidding, often fine-tuning the
craft, the GEX will be remark- program requirements during the bidding process to turn up the pressure on the
ably slippery for its size, participants. For example, Honeywell and Collins competed for the avionics pack-
according to Canadair engi- age in one of the fiercest campaigns in the history of business aircraft.
neers. It will have a highly In addition, Bombardier made each partner agree to strict price controls on
swept, supercritical wing spares, a key element of Canadair’s strategy to make the GEX more affordable
designed for high-speed, high- to operate.
altitude cruise and an area-
ruled, aft fuselage section to reduce drag. would be closer to 6,000 nm than 6,330 nm. Industry
The sharp sweep to the wing will move the trailing observers, though, believe that the GEX can make good
edge of the inboard section well forward on the fuselage, on its promise of 6,500 nm at 0.80 Mach if it can fly
away from the engine nacelles. That will lower interfer- 6,000 nm at 0.85 Mach.
ence drag between the fuselage, wing and nacelles. Similar differences exist between airport performance
Canadair claims the GEX’s aerodynamic refinements projections and guarantees. Canadair estimates the
will make it unsurpassed in speed, range, airport per- GEX’s takeoff distance at 91,000 pounds MTOW to be
formance and operating economy in the big-iron busi- 5,540 feet at SL-ISA, while its guaranteed takeoff dis-
ness aircraft class. tance is 5,930 feet. That’s in line with Canadair’s design
Fourth, and not to be overlooked, the Global Express goal to have a takeoff distance of less than 6,000 feet,
is priced about $1 million lower than its only known which the company feels is adequate for access to virtual-
competition—the Gulfstream V. ly all airports near likely business destinations.
Projections from Canadair for the GEX’s weight and
PROJECTIONS VERSUS GUARANTEES performance, although far from guarantees, are quite
Canadair expects the Global Express to have maximum credible. All of Canadair’s partners have agreed to the
ranges, with NBAA IFR reserves, of 6,500 nm at 0.80 weight goals, and Canadair’s weight estimates have
Mach, 6,330 miles at 0.85 Mach and at least 5,000 been padded to accommodate unforeseen changes in
miles at 0.88 Mach. Such range capability will enable certification requirements, structural modifications and
a GEX to travel from New York to Tokyo in 13.5 hours. systems improvements.
That’s equivalent to flying a 6,313-mile distance in still Canadair’s last two aircraft certifications prove that
air when the 5,845-mile great-circle distance is adjust- this methodology works. Both the Canadair RJ regional
ed for 85-percent probability headwinds. airliner and CL-415 water bomber met their original
Moss adds, “High speed is even more of a selling design weight and performance goals.
factor than long range.” The GEX, cruising at 0.88 However, the GEX’s interior completion weight
Mach, could shear an hour off some shorter internation- allowance of 6,000 pounds may be a little lean. For
al routes, such as Los Angeles to Berlin, Jeddah to example, the actual interior completion weight of an
Tokyo or Moscow to Johannesburg, compared to the average Challenger, an aircraft with the same fuselage
flight times of the present generation of long-range busi- cross section as a GEX and having roughly one-half the
ness aircraft. cabin space devoted to passengers, is just under 4,100
However, Canadair’s range guarantees are much pounds. (The interior completion-weight budget for a
more limited than the marketing projections. The firm’s Gulfstream IVSP is 5,600 pounds and 7,000 pounds
only guarantee is for this design point specific fuel con- for a Gulfstream V, according to the manufacturer.)
sumption (SFC), according to the aircraft type specifica- Mindful of this, Canadair engineers, working with
tion: 0.158 nm per pound at 0.85 Mach at 65,000 completion centers, are aggressively pursuing
pounds. If the maximum range is adjusted for the mini- lightweight interior designs. They believe that three tons
mum guaranteed SFC, then the range at 0.85 Mach is sufficient for an interior appropriate to this class of
COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
 Acquisition And BLOCK FUEL
Operating Costs 40
Canadair’s operating-cost informa-
Conditions: 1,600-lb
tion for the GEX is every bit as care- 35
payload (8 pax);
fully thought out as its design and NBAA IFR reserves;
30
performance characteristics. For zero wind; ISA;
max cruise altitude,
example, the $161-per-hour engine 25 FL 510
reserve is higher than, but consistent

Block Fuel (lbs)

with, the cost of operating a Rolls- 20
Royce Tay turbofan. All costs do not
include the effects of warranty cov- 15
erage.
10
0.85 Mach
Fixed Costs (per year)
Acquisition N/A 5 0.80 Mach
Salaries and benefits
(two crewmembers) $157,970 0
Hangar 75,000 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Insurance NBAA IFR Range (nm)
($50-million liability) 4,700 Source: Bombardier Business Aircraft Division All data preliminary
Recurrent training 36,750
Interior refurbishing
reserve 35,714
Aircraft modernization 120,000 TIME AND FUEL VERSUS DISTANCE
Miscellaneous 9,389 7,000
6,330 nm
Conditions: 1,600-lb
Total $519,523 37,981 lbs
6,000 payload (8 pax); 5,648 nm 6,500 nm
NBAA IFR reserves; 33,222 lbs 37,963 lbs
zero wind; ISA; 4,677 nm
Direct Costs (per hour) 5,340 nm
5,000 max cruise altitude, 26,693 lbs
Fuel and oil, 30,139 lbs
FL 510
Distance (nm)

1,500-mile stage length $636 3,707 nm 4,425 nm

Maintenance labor: 4,000 20,704 lbs 24,368 lbs
airframe, engine, avionics 140
3,510 nm
Maintenance parts: 227 3,000 2,735 nm
19,014 lbs
Engine reserves, 3,500-hour 15,113 lbs
mid-life, 7,000 hour TBO 161 1,763 nm 2,594 nm
2,000 13,962 lbs Long-Range Cruise
APU Maintenance Service Plan 30 9,874 lbs
(0.80 Mach)
Crew expense 135 791 nm 1,678 nm
5,101 lbs 9,302 lbs
Supplies, catering 50 1,000 High-Speed Cruise
Landing, parking fees 25 311 nm 2,855 lbs 761 nm 4,913 lbs (0.85 Mach)
305 nm 2,790 lbs
Total $1,404 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Source: Bombardier Business Aircraft Division Time (hrs)
Source: Bombardier Business Aircraft Division All data preliminary

RANGE/PAYLOAD PROFILE

Balanced Field Length

Gross
SL 5,000 ft Takeoff
ISA ISA+20°C Weight (lbs)

5,540 7,680 91,000 6,000-lb Payload

3,800-lb Payload
4,870 6,700 85,000 1,600-lb Payload
Zero Payload
4,340 5,940 80,000
3,850 5,250 75,000
3,390 4,610 70,000
Conditions: NBAA IFR
3,010 4,010 65,000 reserves; zero wind;
ISA; long-range cruise,
3,000* 3,710 60,000
0.80 Mach; max cruise
3,000* 3,530 55,000 altitude, FL 510

*Undetermined, but less than 3,000 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000
Source: Bombardier Business Aircraft Division All data preliminary Range (nm)

COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 Status
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aircraft, including an airborne office interior similar to serve as speed brakes, spoilerons and ground spoilers.
the mockup shown in our photographs. Third generation composites will be used to make the
It will be tough, though, for cabin interior designers to spoilers and trailing-edge flaps. These structures will
stay within the 6,000-pound weight allowance and still take advantage of fully toughened epoxy resins for
accommodate desirable amenities, such as a shower improved damage tolerance and substantially lower
with at least 160 pounds (roughly 20 gallons) of extra maintenance—compared with the composites used on
fresh water, a 135-pound satellite communications sys- business aircraft certified in the mid-1980s.
tem, office equipment and a galley sufficiently large to Using both leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps
serve the food and beverage needs of eight or more raises the issue of increased drag in the takeoff configu-
passengers on a 14+ hour flight. ration, which is especially critical when departing hot
and high airports. However, Dr. Kafyeke claims that the
AERODYNAMIC REFINEMENTS GEX will have excellent hot/high airport performance
“Clean-sheet design” must be one of the most overused with no need to use reduced takeoff flap settings. Just
terms in the aircraft industry, but the all-new shape of as importantly, he foresees no restrictions on the maxi-
the GEX’s wing, tail section and empennage leaves no mum allowable takeoff weight related to FAR Part 25
doubt that it applies to this aircraft. one-engine-inoperative, second-segment climb require-
Wing design is the most critical factor in Canadair’s ments under most hot/high takeoff conditions.
being able to achieve its 6,500-mile-range goal. The CFD software and the supercomputer also are being
GEX will have a wing far different from any other on a used to refine the shape of the aft fuselage section. Dr.
business aircraft, swept back to 35 degrees at quarter Kafyeke’s team must pay close attention to the airflow
chord for efficient high-speed cruise. Few civil aircraft, in the proximity of all the components—the compara-
other than the Citation X (37-degree sweep) and the Boe- tively large nacelles, the widest fuselage of any busi-
ing 747 (37.5 degrees), have more sharply swept wings. ness airplane, pylons and empennage—to minimize
The wing’s shape, refined with Canadair’s own Com- interference drag at high-cruise speeds. The GEX will
putational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) software running in the incorporate a modest amount of area rule shaping in its
firm’s supercomputer, now has been validated in wind- aft fuselage section to reduce the airflow pressure and
tunnel tests using a seven-percent scale model. Accord- velocity changes, thereby reducing drag at high-cruise
ing to Fassi Kafyeke, Ph.D., advanced aerodynamics speed and helping the aircraft attain its projected maxi-
section leader, this is Canadair’s third CFD-designed mum-range performance.
wing, providing the firm with confidence that the full-
scale airfoil will achieve the performance numbers fore- PASSENGER SPACE
cast by the supercomputer. No business aircraft yet announced offers more floor
Also, the wing design provides a generous, 15- to 40- space or cabin volume than the Global Express. All of
percent mean aerodynamic chord, center-of-gravity the cabin, including the 324-cubic-foot aft baggage
range. compartment, is forward of the engine rotor-burst zone,
The wing structure will be built in three pieces—left, making it accessible in flight with no restrictions.
center and right sections—that will be bolted together. Cabin width is the same as that of a Challenger 601,
The wing will have a relatively small area (1,022 square with the maximum width at 8.17 feet. Floor width is
feet) for lower drag, having a root-to-tip high-taper ratio 6.92 feet. The cabin will be fitted with windows that
and an 8:1 overall aspect ratio that increases from root- are 25 percent larger in area than on Challenger mod-
to-tip because of the double-crank, increasing-sweep trail- els. In addition, the floor will be dropped two inches,
ing edge. The inboard section of each wing has compared to the Challenger’s, to increase the head-
generous volume for fuel storage, and it is, by far, the room to 6.25 feet, not including floor coverings.
most heavily aerodynamically loaded section. The GEX cabin mockup features a forward crew rest
The GEX’s maximum wing loading of 89 pounds per and galley area that occupies about 11.67 feet of the
square foot will be higher than any other business air- floor space, according to scale drawings. The crew rest
craft, making it necessary to fit it with both leading area has its own lavatory and a two-seat compartment
edge and trailing edge high-lift devices to achieve the that converts into a bunk.
desired takeoff and landing performance. Each wing Just aft of the main lavatory, the baggage compartment
will have four segments of aluminum leading-edge slats, takes up about four feet of floor space, providing approx-
with landing, takeoff and cruise position settings. Three, imately 32.33 feet in net passenger cabin length.
single-slotted fowler flap segments will be attached to The mockup’s main passenger compartment is divid-
the trailing edge. The top of each wing will have two ed into three sections: forward airborne office suite with
ground spoilers and four multi-function spoilers that seating for three; center salon with two, three-place,

COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 Status
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H eavyweight Leadership
Laurent Beaudoin, chairman and CEO of Bombardier Incorporated, has had a twinkle in his eye
since December 1993 when his firm officially launched the 6,500-mile-range Global Express. Indeed he should,
for the BD-700 Global Express will be the largest aircraft any firm has ever designed for business use, as well as
the first aircraft to carry the Bombardier name.
No other manufacturer has announced a faster or longer-range business aircraft. No other proposed aircraft in
this class claims to offer better airport performance. No other direct competitor has a lower advertised purchase
price.
Can Beaudoin pull off this feat? When he took over leadership duties in 1982, Bombardier’s annual revenues
were only $500 million (Canadian) and its profits were less than $7 million (Canadian). Business grew well for
the next four years.
In 1986, Bombardier acquired Canadair Limited of Montreal from the Canadian government. Subsequently,
the firm bought Short Brothers, Learjet and de Havilland—hardly aerospace industry cash cows by any past mea-
sure. Beaudoin saw the potential in these firms, however, and he purchased them at bargain-basement prices.
That resulted in exceptionally low debt service and more capital for product development. For example, after
being acquired by Bombardier, Learjet Corporation put the spurs to the Learjet 45 development program, and
Canadair launched the Regional Jet and the Challenger 604.
Beaudoin restructured operations at Bombardier’s four aerospace companies with surgical precision, and they
emerged as the profitable core of an aerospace business segment that now accounts for more than one-half of its
overall business. Bombardier’s aerospace business grossed $2.243 billion (Canadian) in 1993, and it netted in
excess of $176 million (Canadian).
That financial track record should be enough to sober the Global Express’ most bombastic critics. In fact, Bom-
bardier only has 40 percent of the program’s $1-billion development cost at risk. The remainder is being funded
by its joint-venture partners. The firm says it will break even at 100 airplanes, making the GEX as much of a
financial triumph as it is a technological tour-de-force.
Clearly, Project Global Express no longer is a “paper airplane.” It’s the tangible start of an entirely new
approach to the financing, design and development of business aircraft that might reorder leadership of the
heavy-iron class.

side-facing divans; and an aft executive suite with seat- use on the GEX on several previous air carrier aircraft,
ing for four—including a two-place divan that converts military aircraft and/or business aircraft. Thus, suppli-
into a double bed. A shower and main lavatory is locat- ers’ previous experiences eliminate the painful learning
ed aft of the third passenger area. curve associated with introducing new ideas on a new
business aircraft.
TECHNICAL DETAILS Engine reliability is the single, most important factor in
The GEX is Canadair’s first aircraft designed with complying with the spirit of ETOPS requirements. The
ETOPS requirements in mind, demanding that certain GEX’s BMW Rolls-Royce BR 710 engines, although
critical systems have less than a one-in-a-billion chance being new designs, rely upon proven technology. (See
of total failure. Although ETOPS regulations currently sidebar.)
apply only to air carrier aircraft, Canadair engineers Canadair elected to forego fly-by-wire (FBW) primary
anticipate that ultra-long-range business aircraft may flight controls in favor of a well-proven, cable-actuated
cause ETOPS requirements to catch up with Part 135 and hydraulic-powered flight control system. FBW tech-
operations and possibly Part 91 operations. nology will be limited to control of high-lift devices,
Customers, as well as certification authorities, are spoilers and automatic pitch trim functions. Such sec-
insisting on higher standards of reliability. Marketing ondary control surfaces will be controlled by two dual-
an ultra-long-range business aircraft that didn’t comply channel FBW flight-control computers.
with the spirit of ETOPS would be difficult at best. Two separate elevators, each with a dual hydraulic
Canadair has selected team partners on the basis of actuator and each linked to an independent pitch con-
their expertise—not just on their willingness to financial- trol mechanical linkage, will be used for primary pitch
ly participate in the program and supply parts. Each control. Triple hydraulic actuators will power each
supplier has proven the systems technology intended for aileron plus the rudder. Each of the 12 ground and

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B
multi-function spoiler panels will
have its own hydraulic actuator.
MW Rolls-Royce
The slats and flaps will be elec- BR 710-48-C2 Engines
trically actuated by motors pow-
ering flex shafts and ballscrew Canadair’s March 1993 announcement of the selection of BMW
actuators. Electromechanical Rolls-Royce BR 710 engines to power the Global Express allowed the compa-
actuators also will be used for ny to boost its projected maximum range, an increase of more than 15 per-
trim functions. cent. (For a detailed description of the engine, see B/CA, June 1993, page
Three independent and isolat- 66.)
ed hydraulic systems provide the The engine will be rated at 14,690 pounds-takeoff-thrust, flat-rated to 95°F
power for the flight controls, (SL ISA+20°C) for the Global Express. Just as importantly, it will produce
wheel brakes and nosewheel 13,150 pounds-thrust at 5,000 feet, 77°C (ISA+20°C), giving the GEX excel-
steering (NWS). Steer-by-wire lent hot and high airport performance.
and brake-by-wire control, sup- Officially launched in August 1992, the BR 710 is an evolutionary, low-risk
plied by dual independent com- technology engine with a moderate 3.9:1 bypass ratio, a high-pressure com-
puters, will be used for greater pressor derived from the V2500 used on the Airbus A320, a new low-emis-
reliability and lower weight. sion combustor and lower operating costs because of fewer parts. According
To allow for future growth, the to BMW Rolls-Royce, the engine’s noise levels will be substantially lower than
landing gear and NWS system FAR Part 36, Stage 3.
will be sized for 100,000 Compared to a Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8, the BR 710 will have 15 percent bet-
pounds MTOW. The GEX will be ter specific fuel consumption and slightly better high-altitude thrust output,
fitted with dual, NWS hydraulic while weighing slightly less and having three-percent lower maintenance
actuators—not a rack-and-pinion costs, according to the manufacturer.
system—which is almost identi- The firm has accumulated more than 100 hours of run time on the core. The
cal to the Canadair RJ’s well- core will have more than 500 operating cycles prior to the scheduled first run
proven NWS system. of a full-scale BR 710 prototype engine this September.
The GEX will have a variable BMW Rolls-Royce says the engine will have a dual-channel FADEC that
frequency, AC electrical power eventually will allow dispatch with one channel inoperative.
system powered by four direct- Ease of maintenance is another prime design objective of this powerplant.
drive AC generators (two per Engine changes could be done overnight, not including buildup time.
engine), plus an unlimited oper- European and Canadian engine certification is slated for February 1997,
ating envelope, air-driven gener- with subsequent FAA approval scheduled for April 1997. Function and relia-
ator that can be deployed in the bility testing of the engine will continue until it enters service in late 1997.
event of a total electrical failure.
Variable frequency, constant-voltage AC generators are vent waxing, the partial congealing of aviation
so named because they don’t use constant speed drive kerosene at very low temperatures. However, Canadair
units to regulate their rpm to produce constant frequen- has enough weight-growth margin to accommodate fuel
cy current. Thus, direct-drive AC generators save weight tank heaters, if they prove necessary.
and increase reliability. Conserving engine bleed air, principally used in flight
In the GEX, the heaviest electrical load equipment will to pressurize and air-condition the GEX’s copious
be designed to use variable frequency AC power. 2,077 cubic-foot-cabin, will be essential to achieving
More-sensitive electrical equipment will be fed by AC the fuel economy needed to stretch the aircraft’s range
power supplies or DC transformer-rectifier units. to 6,500 miles.
Three separate wing fuel tanks—left, center and right Forty percent of the cabin air will be re-circulated
sections—will be used to store the aircraft’s 41,150 through ultra-fine particulate filters to reduce the
pounds of fuel. Each engine will be fed by dual AC- demand for bleed air. Dual air-cycle machines will sup-
powered fuel-boost pumps, mounted in collector tanks ply conditioned air to the cabin for pressurization.
so that they can be changed without defueling the air- A 350-hp AlliedSignal RE220 APU with full-authority
craft. The boost pumps will be augmented by jet pumps digital engine control (FADEC) will be capable of start-
in the center and outboard wing sections. The GEX sin- ing up to 43,000 feet and of continuous operations,
gle-point pressure refueling system will allow refueling including supplying 30 Kva electrical power, up to
in 15 minutes. 45,000 feet. The APU also will be capable of main
The GEX’s 14+ hour endurance and high-operating engine start—up to 35,000 feet.
altitudes may require the use of fuel tank heaters to pre-

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H
oneywell Primus 2000 Avionics
For The Global Express
What’s missing from this cockpit? Side-stick controllers, flat-panel EFIS screens and an electronic
library system were some of the features that were originally planned for the Global Express. Ultimately, they
didn’t make the cut because of unproven reliability, extra cost and additional weight.
Bombardier instead elected to choose a proven package, the Honeywell Primus 2000 avionics system, currently
in revenue passenger service aboard the Dornier 328. By the time the Global Express enters service at the end of
1998, the Primus 2000 system will be a 750,000-plus-hour airline veteran. Reliability is Bombardier’s top priority.
The Primus 2000, as configured for the Global Express, will have six eight- by seven-inch CRT displays arrayed
conventionally in the instrument panel in left- and right-side groups of three screens. Lack of instrumental panel
space and depth ruled out the use of eight- by eight-inch CRTs.
In the Global Express, the primary flight displays (PFD) will be outermost in the panel, with multi-function displays
(MFDs) in the middle and the engine instrument/crew alerting system (EICAS) screens on the inside. The MFD
screens will feature TCAS, a vertical navigation profile display, plus dual independent checklists. The EICAS will
display system synoptics as well as gauge graphics and malfunction annunciators.
The displays will have “full sensor reversion,” meaning the design allows any sensor—inertial reference system, air
data computer, nav radio, FMS and other components—to be used by either the left- or right-side displays.
Standby flight instruments will be mounted in the center of the panel. Audio control panels will be positioned out-
board of the CRT displays.
The left- and right-side PFD controllers, along with the automatic flight guidance system (AFGS) control display
panel, are mounted just below the glareshield for ease of access by either crewmember.
The secondary avionics system controls—including weather radar, multi-function controls and EFIS reversion
panel—are mounted forward in the triple-wide console.
Farther aft in the console are dual Primus II radio management units (RMUs), with color flat-panel displays. These
units control left- and right-side remote-mounted, integrated communications and integrated navigation radios, plus
dual HF radios and single TCAS avionics. Honeywell’s Lightning Sensor System, dual microwave landing system
receivers and third system nav and comm radios will be offered as options. The RMUs also can function as back-
up engine instruments and backup navigation displays.
The FMS control display units (CDUs) are mounted well aft in the console. On a 10- to 13-hour, high-altitude
flight, the pilots will slide their seats back to a comfortable position and, from that vantage point, will control most
functions by means of the FMS CDUs.
The left, center and right CDUs—only two are shown in this illustration—are the crew’s windows to the triple
integrated avionics computers (IACs) upon which the Primus 2000 avionics architecture is based. The Primus
2000 uses both the Honeywell Avionics Standard Communication Bus local area network and ARINC 429 to link
various system components to the IACs. Two of the three IACs are fitted with FMS computer cards as standard
equipment.
The standard package also includes a single Honeywell-Marconi, 12-channel Global Satellite System Naviga-
tion Unit, capable of GPS instrument approaches. Options include a third FMS computer card, a second GPS
receiver and a satellite communications (satcom) system controlled through the FMS CDUs. If the third FMS is not
ordered, the third CDU controls a standard equipment Lasertrak long-range navigation unit.
Each FMS contains tabular, certified takeoff and landing performance numbers, and each will have Honeywell’s

MID-’94 DESIGN FREEZE The GEX’s aerodynamic design should be frozen by

The GEX will be one of the most carefully planned air- now, and Canadair’s teammates, all using CATIA, will
craft designed for business use. All of the risk-sharing continue to refine each component until late this year.
partners have been holed up with GEX engineers in a CATIA allows the cycle time between the final design
massive central design room at Canadair, hovering freeze and assembly-line production to be shrunk. The
over 92 CATIA (Computer Aided Technical Interactive time savings is due to the partners’ fabricating most of
Application) terminals for months. They’ve been partici- the parts using numerically controlled machines that use
pating in the joint-definition phase that ends this Octo- a common CATIA computer design program for the
ber or November. GEX. Little more than two years are being budgeted
Most assuredly, Canadair is using the measure-three- between the initial manufacturing phase in 1994 and
times-and-cut-once design approach, consistent with the GEX’s first flight in fall 1996.
Bombardier’s fine-tuned financial management style. Another big reason why the initial production lead

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adaptive learning SmartPerf climb, cruise and descent performance function. SmartPerf monitors the actual perfor-
mance of a specific aircraft during the first several hours of flight operations, and then learns how to predict subse-
quent aircraft en route performance. SmartPerf automatically compensates for changes in aircraft performance
caused by adding antennas or aging engines.
The FMS offers a four-megabyte database that pilots will be able to update by means of a 3.5-inch personal
computer diskette. The database eventually can grow to at least eight megabytes, but don’t expect it to accommo-
date a high-resolution terrain database. That will require a CD-ROM drive, such as the ones used by personal
computers to store map graphics.
The FMS units are designed for compatibility with the FAA’s Future Air Navigation System (FANS). When imple-
mented, FANS will enable aircraft equipped with two-way datalink to automatically upload flight plans, Automatic
Terminal Information Service (ATIS) data and en route clearance changes. Automatic dependent surveillance
(ADS) position reporting will be automatically downloaded by means of satcom to air traffic controllers for en
route surveillance during transoceanic flights, enabling ATC to track aircraft beyond radar coverage. ADS will
allow reduced aircraft-to-aircraft spacing on transoceanic routes, thereby increasing airspace flow capacity.
The three CDUs also control the triple Laseref III inertial reference systems that provide three-axis rotation and
position-rate data to the PFDs, FMS computers, wind-shear/ground proximity computer and other systems. Other
AFCS features include:
© Dual, fail-operational autopilot and yaw damper systems that automatically switch to the cross-side system in
the event of a malfunction;
© Triple air data computers;
© Dual aileron, elevator and yaw damper servos; and
© Autothrottle servos that physically move the power control levers.
The Primus 2000 also functions as a health status monitoring system for the aircraft. Triple data acquisition units
are linked to most airframe systems by means of ARINC 429 digital interfaces, enabling the MFDs to display virtu-
ally any significant problem as soon as it’s detected. In addition, a central aircraft information management sys-
tem (CAIMS) computer will log airframe system events and engine malfunction events, labeling them with a time
and date stamp and identifying problems at the line replacement unit level. In other words, the CAIMS computer
not only logs problems, but it also frequently tells the crew in plain language exactly which part numbers are caus-
ing the headaches.
Other avionics manufacturers will supply the dual HF radios, dual radio altimeters, selective calling feature,
flight data and cockpit voice recorders, and standby attitude instruments. A head-up display, emergency locator
transmitter and a wide selection of airborne office equipment also will be options.
This is the bottom line: The belt-and-suspenders approach to avionics boxes eventually will permit dispatch with
a substantial number of inoperative systems. Typically, the master minimum equipment list (MMEL) may include
five of six display tubes, one of two (or three) FMSes, two of three Laseref III boxes, two of three air data comput-
ers, plus a single autopilot/yaw damper channel. Don’t, however, plan on such a liberal MMEL for transoceanic
flights. Government aeronautical officials already are talking about extended twin-engine operations (ETOPS)
requirements for certain long-range business aircraft. Those requirements would mandate double or triple equip-
ment redundancies, even though the ETOPS rules apply only to scheduled air carriers at the present time.

time will be comparatively short is that Canadair won’t currently takes nine months, but that will shrink to six or
be manufacturing much of the aircraft in-house, other seven months by the end of this year by taking advan-
than the cockpit section and forward and aft fuselage tage of just-in-time manufacturing processes. His time
sections. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build the entire estimate for assembling production-run Global Express
wing, stuffed with most internal components and flight airplanes is a mere 90 days.
controls, plus the center fuselage section. Short Brothers Some of our readers may be shaking their heads in
will build most of the composite structures, fuselage fair- disbelief at all of these claims. Here a firm with only
ings and the horizontal tail. BMW Rolls-Royce will deliv- eight years in the aircraft manufacturing business plans
er the engines, complete with nacelles and to build an ultra-long-range airplane that will be capa-
thrust-reverser assemblies, ready for mounting. ble of carrying eight passengers in business aviation’s
Roland Gagnon, Canadair’s executive vice president largest cabin from New York to Tokyo nonstop.
of manufacturing, said building a Challenger or an RJ Doubtlessly, it will be one of the most complex business

COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 Status
Report

aircraft yet produced, but it will meet the intent of

ETOPS requirements. All the details haven’t been final-
ized, yet the aircraft is scheduled to fly in two years.
Completed aircraft will enter service in mid-1998.
Gagnon says he can build the aircraft in three months.
Consider this: Bombardier is in the transportation
business for the long haul and the GEX, while being an
audacious venture, represents much more to the firm’s
future than just being the ultimate business aircraft. For
example, the GEX, if stretched several feet, could be the
basis for a new generation of 70- to 100-passenger
regional airliners suitable as replacements for the DC-9,
Fokker 100 and turboprop commuter aircraft.
Because of the GEX’s strategic importance to Bom-
bardier, Beaudoin and his team will spare no effort to
ensure its success. It’s like a keystone in a bridge that
will open the way for Bombardier to expand its
aerospace business well into the 21st century. B/CA

COPYRIGHT 1995 THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED