First CS100 with cabin interior took to the skies

Bombardier CS100 FTV5 took off to the skies (© Bombardier Aerospace)
Bombardier CS100 FTV5 took off to the skies (© Bombardier Aerospace)

Bombardier confirmed that the fifth CS100 flight test vehicle (FTV5) – the CSeries aircraft equipped with the first finished cabin interior – took to the skies on March 18, 2015, from Mirabel, Québec. FTV5 received Transport Canada’s Flight Test Permit on March 12, 2015 and is the sixth CSeries aircraft to join the flight test program.

The first flight was conducted under the command of Capt. Simon Bowell, Flight Test Pilot, Bombardier Flight Test Centre. Capt. Bowel was assisted by First Officer Mark Elliott and Flight Test Engineers Constantin Stan and Cristian Salas.

Bombardier CS100 interior (© Bombardier Aerospace)
Bombardier CS100 interior (© Bombardier Aerospace)

“Today we reached an exciting milestone as the last CS100 test aircraft and the only one to be fitted with a full interior joined the flight test program – demonstrating the high amount of maturity we’ve built into the aircraft over the past few months,” said Rob Dewar, Vice President, CSeries Program. “FTV5 will be used to test all the passenger experience related systems, such as ventilation, lighting, ordinance systems, seats, galleys and lavatories.”

The flight comes on the heels of the CS300 aircraft’s first flight on February 27, 2015. The first CS300 aircraft completed its inaugural flight and together with the other CSeries flight test aircraft, there are now six aircraft in the certification program. The CSeries aircraft program has accumulated well over 1,200 combined CS100 and CS300 flight hours.