Bombardier Challenger 300

Development of the Challenger 300 began in the late 1990s, to create a new super-midsize private jet that would offer exceptional range, speed, and comfort. The prototype flew in August 2001, and it was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in January 2004.

Business Jet Traveler reports on the Challenger 300’s history, “During the 1990s, business jet manufacturers invented a new product category: the super-midsize. The idea was to provide near large-cabin comfort with midsize operating efficiencies. Over the ensuing years, the manufacturers employed various strategies in pursuit of this market niche: Dassault shortened a trijet Falcon 900 cabin and morphed it into a twinjet called the 2000, but to be fair, that is still really a large-cabin jet, albeit with super-midsize economics. Meanwhile, Cessna extended its popular Citation Excel medium-class fuselage and gave it new wings, avionics, and engines, naming the finished product Sovereign, but calling this airplane a super-mid is a bit of, er, a stretch. Of this triad, only Bombardier’s Challenger 300 delivered on its promise, combining passenger comfort, performance, reliability, and good operating economics.”

In 2014, Bombardier Aerospace introduced an upgraded version of the Challenger 300, known as the Challenger 350.

The Challenger 300 cabin is 6.08 feet high, 7.17 feet wide, and 23.7 feet long. Typical configurations include eight to nine passengers, with a three-seat divan replacing two club seats in the rear. The lavatory is located at the rear of the cabin.

The Challenger 300 is powered by two Honeywell HTF7000 turbofan engines, which provide a maximum cruise speed of 528 knots (607 mph) and a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles (3,569 miles). It has a maximum takeoff weight of 38,850 pounds and a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet.

When in production, a new Challenger 300 sold for $21 million. Used types start at around $12.5 million.