Bombardier CRJ100/200

Bombardier · Canada · first flew 1991 · airliner

The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are twin-engine regional jets developed from the Canadair Challenger 600 business jet, configured to carry 50 passengers on short-haul feeder routes. They became the dominant regional aircraft on North American routes throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsLow-mounted, swept
E — Engines2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage26.77 m fuselage
T — TailT-tail

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Spot it by:

A small narrow-body jet with two rear-mounted engines, a T-tail, and a very slim fuselage with a single-aisle 1+2 seat arrangement; the short fuselage and small oval windows are characteristic.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The CRJ100 was derived from the Canadair CL-600 Challenger by stretching the fuselage and modifying the cabin for airline use; it first flew in May 1991. The improved CRJ200 replaced inefficient CF34-1A engines with more fuel-efficient CF34-3B1 engines. Regional airlines across North America and Europe operated the type in huge numbers as hub-and-spoke feeder services expanded.

Variants

The CRJ100 used CF34-1A engines; the CRJ200 introduced CF34-3B1 engines for better fuel efficiency. The longer CRJ700/900/1000 series followed as stretched developments.

Where you'll see it

Extensively operated by regional subsidiaries of major US carriers (American Eagle, Mesa, SkyWest), as well as European regional airlines; gradually being retired in favour of larger and newer types.

Related aircraft

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