LYNN, Massachusetts -The People's Republic of China, in its largest order ever for corporate aircraft, has signed a purchase agreement for five Bombardier Corporate JetLiner aircraft powered by GE CF34-3B1 turbofan engines.
China United Airlines, which will operate the fleet, will take delivery of three aircraft in July 1997 and two in 1998.
The Canadair Corporate JetLiner, which is manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace, is a corporate variant of the highly-successful 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet. The CF34 engine, which is manufactured at GE's Lynn, Massachusetts, facility, is the sole powerplant for the Canadair Jet, which currently is in service with 14 operators in eight countries worldwide.
"We are pleased that the People's Republic of China, and China United Airlines, have chosen the GE-powered Canadair JetLiner to transport senior government and military officials," said Lloyd Thompson, general manager of the Small Commercial Turbofan Department of GE Aircraft Engines. "They have selected an outstanding aircraft, powered by an engine that sets industry standards for performance and reliability."
Derived from the proven TF34 military engines, the CF34-1A entered service in 1983 powering the Canadair Challenger 601 business jet. The CF34-3A entered service in 1987, also on the 601, offering more power, improved performance, greater range, and a larger payload at high/hot conditions. Selected for the Canadair Regional Jet, the CF34-3A1 entered service in 1992, featuring a low-emissions combustor, longer-life materials, and improved airline maintenance characteristics.
The newest CF34 models in service, the CF34-3B and -3B1, entered service in 1995 on the 4100 nautical mile Challenger 604 and Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200B respectively, offering lower fuel consumption at cruise, a faster rate of climb, and shorter hot-day/high-altitude takeoff performance. Both models feature the low-emissions combustor, continuing the CF34 heritage as a "clean and green" engine.
In all, the CF34 engine powers 428 Bombardier aircraft, including 285 Canadair Challenger aircraft and 143 Canadair Regional Jet airliners.
Development and testing are currently under way for the growth model CF34-8C1 to power the new 70-passenger Bombardier CRJ-X regional airliner. The -8C1 is designed to provide more than 50 percent more takeoff thrust, 4 percent lower fuel consumption and 30 percent fewer parts than current CF34 models. Engine features include a larger fan, and increased-flow compressor, a new low-pressure turbine, and a dual-channel, Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC). The CF34-8C1 is on schedule for certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in mid-1999.