At the end of 1975, Canadair backed the LearStar 600 concept by Bill Lear, and acquired the large business jet or freighter project in April 1976. On 29 October, the programme was launched, backed by the Canadian federal government, and designed to comply with new FAR part 25 standards. The Challenger is a low-wing jet powered by two turbofans mounted in aft fuselage pods, it has a supercritical wing and a stand-up cabin with two seating sections. The original Lycoming ALF 502 turbofans were replaced by a pair of General Electric CF34s on the CL-601, which also gained winglets, and first flew on 10 April 1982. Subsequent variants have updated systems, avionics, and higher weights. The Challenger is a twin-engined business jet, described by Flight International as being ‘’miniturised twinjet airliner in every respect’’. While the Challenger is generally similar in configuration to previous aircraft of its type, some of its features stand out; for example, the use of a widened fuselage that allows a "walk-about cabin". The Challenger was also one of the first business jets to be designed with a supercritical wing. The wing was referred by Canadair as being one of the aircraft's most advanced features. It is also capable of performing short takeoffs while maintaining the speed and comfort levels normally associated with larger jetliners. Challengers can be identified visually from their peers by their distinctive double slotted hinged flap arrangement, where the fairings can be seen below the wings, a configuration that was much more common on commercial airliners. For more details of the development, design and multiple variants, click here. The specifications below are for the Challenger 650.
