Bombardier CRJ

Avec cette commande, American Airlines devient le premier client à profiter des toutes dernières améliorations apportées au biréacteur régional CRJ900 NextGen. Outre l’amélioration de quatre pour cent dans la consommation de carburant déjà consentie par la version « NextGen », des améliorations au groupe motopropulseur de l’avion et des initiatives continues de réduction de masse, ce qui comprend la mise à niveau avionique, offriront une réduction supplémentaire pouvant aller jusqu’à 1,5 pour cent. Au total, cela représente une réduction de consommation de carburant de 5,5 pour cent sur la génération précédent de l’avion CRJ900 et jusqu’à 5,0 pour cent de réduction comparativement aux biréacteurs de série concurrents annoncés dans la catégorie des appareils de même capacité passagers

Bombardier looking at double digit fuel burn improvement for CRJ900 by 2020, President Commercial Aircraft Mike Arcamone says

— Jens Flottau (@AvWeekFlottau) 13 Juillet 2014

hat’s because Bombardier was caught flat-footed and put in the position of playing catch up in the 75-90-seat regional jet sector (which it handily controlled a little more than two years ago), perhaps in part because the manufacturer was distracted by its costly CSeries venture, on which it has already spent $4 billion without yet bringing the aircraft to market. What will happen in the 75-90-seat jet sector in 2020 when the E-175-E2, which promises a 16% fuel burn improvement, enters service? How will the CRJ900, already losing ground to the current generation E-175, continue to compete? That is just one in a long list of difficult questions Alaine Bellemare will have to answer.

Design changes such as new winglets and a modified wing are under development that would cut the jets’ fuel burn by at least 4.5% by 2020, said executives including Jean-Francois Tessier, director of program strategy. Bombardier also is in talks with Asian and North American carriers that may lead to orders in the next few months, he said.

The CRJ family was Bombardier’s flagship commercial line before the planemaker opted to emphasize the larger CSeries, which is two years late and whose $5.4 billion program cost is at least $2 billion over budget. While working on the CSeries, Bombardier has seen the CRJ sales fall behind those of Embraer SA’s regional models, which are being fitted with new engines.

“We are committed to the CRJ platform for at least the next 15 years,” Hugues Lessard, vice president and general manager of the CRJ program, said in an interview Friday at the company’s Mirabel plant north of Montreal. “Where we maybe erred a bit, where we made a faux pas, is that we put so much focus on the CSeries. Some people thought we were going to stop building regional jets and exit the market, but nothing could be further from the truth.”

Snecma promises fuel burn will be cut by 15 percent–compared to in-service engines in the same class (for example, the GE CF34-3 or Allison AE3007)–while NOx emissions will be up to 50 percent below the CAEP 6 standard and noise will be up to 20 EPNdB lower than Stage 4.

Bombardier has responded by introducing new overhead bins in the business cabin, providing approximately 50% more space and the ability to put roller bags into the bin wheels first. The economy class bins have also been enhance with new catches which enable better access which means slightly larger bags can be stored.

Baudis added that the sculpting of windows is being enhanced to give a lighter cabin environment. New mood lighting will also be used when a different feel is required. At the seat there are new passenger service units above and more in-seat power for the operation of mobile devices and laptop computers.

In the two-class layout Bombardier is introducing new class dividers, while for all passengers there will be a more spacious lavatory (57% greater space).

In the lavatory, Bombardier managed to add 57 percent more area, including 3 inches more head clearance. In the business class cabin, it took advantage of the two-by-one seating configuration to increase the size of the right-hand bins by some 50 percent, allowing for wheels-first stowage of standard size roller bags.

“We are also increasing slightly the size of the bins in the main cabin, but more importantly we are reworking the opening of the bins so that we can fit more easily the big bags that passengers carry more and more,” said Baudis.

The new Bombardier marketing executive also explained the process of opening the passenger entrance area with round shapes and curved lines. “You no longer have to do the zigzag pass in the galley; now it’s a wide aisle going straight into the business cabin,” he said.