Bombardier's Challenger 605 wide-body business jet completed its first flight on Sunday, meeting the schedule announced at the NBAA Convention last November. The airplane departed from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport under clear skies at 12:40 p.m. and flew for three hours and 23 minutes, reaching 41,000 feet and 420 knots. "It was a great flight ... the aircraft performed superbly," said pilot Frank Magnusson. Following several flights in Montreal, the aircraft is scheduled to relocate to Bombardier's Flight Test Center in Wichita, Kan., for a 200-hour flight test and certification program. Transport Canada certification is expected by the end of this year, and the aircraft is scheduled to enter service in the third quarter of 2007. The 605 succeeds the 604 model now in production, and features updated avionics and a redesigned cabin. The cabin, at eight feet, two inches wide, is the widest of any large-size business jet available today, according to Bombardier, and seats up to 12 passengers. A video of the first takeoff and landing is posted online at Bombardier's Web site.
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