TYPE: Regional jet airliner.

PROGRAMME: Design studies began in third quarter of 1987; basic configuration frozen June 1988; engineering designation CL-600-2B19; formal programme go-ahead given 31 March 1989; extended-range CRJ100ER announced September 1990. Three development aircraft built (c/n 7001-7003), plus static test airframe (c/n 7991) and forward fuselage test article (7992); first flight of 7001 (C-FCRJ) 10 May 1991; 7002 (C-FNRJ) first flew 2 August 1991 and 7003 on 17 November 1991; all three in 1,400-hour flight test programme in Wichita, USA. CF34-3A1 engine obtained its US type certificate 24 July 1991. Transport Canada type approval (CRJ100 and CRJ100ER) 31 July 1992. Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau certification 23 May 2000.
First delivery aircraft (c/n 7004) flew 4 July 1992, and to Lufthansa CityLine of Germany (as D-ARJA) 29 October 1992; European JAA and US FAA certification 14 and 21 January 1993 respectively; long-range CRJ100LR certified 29 April 1994; CRJ200 with CF34-3B1 engines announced in 1995. Replaced CRJ100 after 226 of the latter had been delivered. Total fleet time at May 2002 (not including corporate aircraft) was 4,961,012 flight hours and 4,374,564 cycles, with 98.6 per cent despatch reliability rate. 200th aircraft delivered (to Lufthansa) 24 October 1997; 300th to Atlantic Coast Airlines in April 1999; 400th to Delta Connection/Sky West in July 2000; 500th to Atlantic Coast Airlines 26 April 2001, and 600th to Atlantic Southeast Airlines 29 January 2002, and 700th to Air Nostrum 30 October 2002. Production of CRJ200 running at 9.5 per month in 2000, rising to 12.5 per month by late 2001, and 14.5 per month by 2003, with annual targets of 165 in 2003 and 174 in 2004.

CURRENT VERSIONS: CRJ100: Original standard aircraft. Engineering designation CL-600-2B19.
CRJ100ER: Replaced by CRJ200ER.
CRJ100LR: Announced March 1994; launch customer, Lauder Air of Austria; replaced by CRJ200LR.
CRJ200: Standard aircraft; designed to carry 50 passengers over 985 n mile (1,824 km; 1,133 mile) range; CF34-3B1 engines with 2.8 per cent lower specific fuel consumption than CF34-3A1 of CRJ100, increasing initial cruise altitude by 213 m (700 ft), cruising speed by 2.5 kt (4.5 km/h; 3 mph), and range typically by 1.5 per cent; Class C baggage compartment as standard. First delivery, to Tyrolean Airways as OE-LCF, 15 January 1996. Further improvements in development for introduction on CRJ200 variants during early 1996 included 3 kt (5.5 km/h; 3.5 mph) reduction in V₂ speed to provide 91 m (300 ft) reduction in T-O run at maximum T-O weight; 1 kt (1.8 km/h; 1.2 mph) reduction in V_REF to provide 15 m (50 ft) reduction in landing run at typical landing weights; new 8° flap setting to improve second-segment climb performance; and GPS integrated with an upgradeed FMS.
CRJ200ER: Extended-range capability with optional increase in maximum T-O weight to 23,133 kg (51,000 lb) and optional additional fuel capacity, for range of 1,645 n miles (3,046 km; 1,893 miles).
CRJ200LR: Longer-range version of CRJ200ER (more than 2,005 n miles; 3,713 km; 2,307 miles); maximum T-O weight increased by 907 kg (2,000 lb) to 24,040 kg (53,000 lb).
CRJ200B, CRJ200B ER and CRJ200B LR: As above, but with optional hot-and-high CF34-3B1 engines providing normal T-O thrust up to ISA +7.8°C (ISA+6.1°C for standard engines), and APR thrust up to ISA+15°C (ISA+6.1°C for standard engines).
CRJ440: Engineering designation CL-600-2B19. Version seating 44 passengers in standard configuration. Launch customer Northwest Airlines has ordered 75.
CRJ700: Described separately.
Corporate Jetliner: Company shuttle version with more spacious cabin accommodation for 18 to 30 passengers. One delivered June 1993 to Xerox Corporation. Five ordered by the People's Republic of China in January 1997; operated on behalf of PRC government by China United Airlines' crews; contract value C$116 million, including outfitting, pilot and maintenance staff training and spares. Supplanted from September 2002 by corporate version of Challenger 800 (see below).
Challenger 800: Corporate version developed in consultation with launch customer TAG Aeronautics Ltd to meet requirement for non-stop flights, London to Jeddah or equivalent, with three crew and five passengers; or between Middle East city pairs with 15 passengers. First flown 26 May 1995 and formally announced at Paris Air Show in the following month; initially designated Canadair Special Edition: first delivery (N877SE) to TAG during Dubai International Aerospace Show in November 1995; second TAG aircraft delivered November 1997. Accommodation for up to 19 passengers in customised cabin; additional 1,814 kg (4,000 lb) or fuel carried in two auxiliary tanks behind main cabin, extending range to more than 3,000 n miles (5,556 km; 3,452 miles); maximum T-O weight 24,040 kg (53,000 lb); first aircraft powered by standard CF34-3A1 turbofans, but subsequent examples are equipped with CF34-3B1s increasing range to 3,120 n miles (5,778 km; 3,590 miles); Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics as on RJ, but with third FMS, third VHF, dual Collins HF and Selcal. Manufactured to special order only. Recent customers include Poly Technologies Inc, which ordered two on 16 August 2001 for operation by China Ocean Aviation Group, with deliveries scheduled for 2002. Renamed Challenger 800 on eve of NBAA Convention at Orlando, Florida, 8 September 2002.

COSTS: Programme development costs C$275 million. Atlantic Coast Airlines order for 10 CRJ200ERs valued at US$200 million (September 1998). Order for two Special Editions valued at US$54.2 million (August 2001).

DESIGN FEATURES: Evolved from Challenger (which see), designed expressly for regional airline operating environment. Advanced transonic wing design, with winglets for high-speed operations; fuel-efficient GE turbofans; options include higher design weights, additional fuel capacity, more comprehensive avionics, and maximum certified altitude raised to 12,500 m (41,000 ft).
Wings, designed with computational fluid dynamics (CFD), have 13.2 per cent (root) and 10 per cent (tip) thickness/chord ratios, 2° 20' dihedral, 3° 25' root incidence and 24° 45' quarter-chord sweepback.

FLYING CONTROLS: Conventional and power-assisted. Primary controls with cables and push/pull rods for multiple redundancy; hydraulically actuated ailerons, elevators and rudder with at least two hydraulic power control unit actuators per surface (three on rudder and elevator); ailerons and elevators fitted with flutter dampers (dual on elevators); rudder with dual-channel control yaw damping; artificial feel and electric trim for roll and yaw; electronically controlled, variable incidence T tailplane for pitch trim and electronically controlled artificial pitch feel. Double-slotted electromechanical flaps with electronically controlled Datron electric motors; BAE fly-by-wire spoiler and spoileron system, four spoilers each side, with inner two functioning as ground spoilers, outer two comprising one flight spoiler and one spoileron, both also providing lift dumping on touchdown. Avionics suite includes engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS).

STRUCTURE: Semi-monocoque fuselage is damage tolerant FAR/JAR 25 certified airframe with chemically milled skins; flat pressure bulkheads forward of flight deck and aft of baggage compartment; extensive use of advanced composites in secondary structures (passenger compartment floor, wing/fuselage fairings, nacelle doors, wing access door covers, winglets, tailcone, avionics access doors and landing gear doors); comprehensive anti-corrosion treatment and drainage. Wing is one-piece unit mounted to underside of fuselage; two-spar box joined by ribs, covered top and bottom with integrally stiffened skin panels (three upper and three lower each side) for smooth flow; machined or built-up spars and shearweb-type ribs. Short Brothers (UK) manufactures fuselage central section, fore and aft fuselage plugs, wing flaps, ailerons, spoilerons and inboard spoilers.

LANDING GEAR: Hydraulically retractable tricycle type, manufactured by Dowty. Inward-retracting main units each have 15 in Aircraft Braking System (ABS) wheels with H29x9.0-15 (16 ply) Goodyear tubeless tyres, pressure 11.17 bar (162 lb/sq in) unladen. Nose unit has 18x4.4 (12 ply) tyres (deflector type) and Dowty Canada steer-by-wire steering; unladen tyre pressure 8.62 bar (125 lb/sq in). Aircraft Braking System steel multidisc brakes and fully modulated Hydro Aire Mk III anti-skid system. Minimum taxiway width for 180° turn (with 3.35 m; 11 ft 0 in safety margin) is 22.86 m (75 ft 0 in).

POWER PLANT: Two General Electric CF34-3B1 turbofans, each rated at 41.0 kN (9,220 lb st) with APR and 38.8 kN (7,729 lb st) without. Nacelles produced by Short Brothers. Pneumatically actuated thrust reversers. Fuel in two integral wing tanks, combined capacity 5,300 litres (1,400 US gallons; 1,166 Imp gallons); increasable to 8,080 litres 2,135 US gallons; 1,778 Imp gallons) with optional centre-wing tank. Pressure refuelling point in starboard leading-edge wingroot; transfer rate 474 litres (125 US gallons; 104 Imp gallons)/min at 3.45 bar (50 lb/sq in); two gravity points on starboard wing (one for centre tank) and one on port wing.

ACCOMMODATION: Two-pilot flight deck; one or two cabin attendants. Main cabin seats up to 50 passengers in standard configuration, four-abreast at 79 cm (31 in) pitch, with centre aisle; maximum capacity 52 seats. Various configurations, from 15 to 50 seats, available for corporate version. Downward-opening front passenger door with integral airstairs on port side; plug-type forward emergency exit/service door opposite on starboard side (inoperative on Challenger 800). Inward-opening baggage door on port side at rear. Overwing Type III emergency exit each side (port side door inoperative on Challenger 800). Entire accommodation pressurised, including rear baggage compartment.

SYSTEMS: Cabin pressurisation and air conditioning system (maximum differential 0.57 bar; 8.3 lb/sq in). Primary flight control systems powered by hydraulic servo-actuators with distinct, alternate paths cable and pushrod systems. Electric trim and dual yaw dampers. Three fully independent 207 bar (3,000 lb/sq in) hydraulic systems. Three-phase 115 V AC electrical primary power at 400 Hz supplied by two 30 kVA engine-driven generators; alternative power provided by APU and air-driven generator. Conversion to 28 V DC by five transformer-rectifier units. Main (Ni/Cd) battery 17 Ah, APU battery 43 Ah. Honeywell GTCP 36-150 (RJ) APU and two-pack air conditioning system in rear of fuselage. Wing leading-edges and engine intake cowls anti-iced by engine bleed air. Electric anti-icing of windscreen and cockpit side windows, pitot heads, air data vanes, static sources and sensors. Ice detection system standard.

AVIONICS: Comms: Dual VHF nav/com radios. Options include HF radio, single Selcal and 8.33 kHz VHF.
Radar: Rockwell Collins digital weather radar system; split-scan weather radar and radar with turbulence mode optional.
Flight: Dual flight management systems optional. GPWS, windshear detection system and TCAS. EGPWS optional in place of GPWS. L3 flight data recorder and CNE. Dual FMS 4200 and dual IRS in Corporate Jetliner and Challenger 800.
Instrumentation: Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 integrated all-digital suite, including dual primary flight displays, dual multifunction displays, dual EICAS, dual AFCS, dual AHRS, dual air data system and Cat. II capability with Cat. IIIa optional using head-up guidance system. Dual inertial reference system optional in lieu of AHRS. Flight Dynamics Inc HGS 2100 HUD approved by Transport Canada November 1995, permitting Cat. IIIa operation.