The Challenger 300 is a tough act to follow. When it made its debut in late 2003, it instantly became a modern day and more affordable successor to the Gulfstream II, with plenty of thrust, a generously sized wing and sporty performance. Similar to the GII, it had transcontinental U.S. range, a flat floor, room for eight in a double club cabin, inflight baggage access and rock-solid reliability. If it had wide oval cabin windows and a heavy-iron price tag, people might have thought it was built in Savannah, Ga., rather than Montreal.
Bombardier's Challenger 300, now being delivered to customers in the green configuration, will still resemble the business aircraft they ordered four years ago. The then-named Continental had its official launch at the Paris air show in 1999. The corporate jet has seen its schedule slip by about six months and its payload with full fuel capacity has declined slightly. However, the twin-engine business jet appears to be meeting all other initial goals, including range, price and field performance.
