The future of Bombardier Aerospace’s commercial airline business might well hinge on what becomes of the product starting to take shape at the company’s new manufacturing complex at Mirabel near Montreal, Canada, dedicated to the C Series airliner. Work formally began in September with an official ground-breaking ceremony, when the company launched the first of five phases of construction known as the complete Integrated Aircraft Systems Test Area (CIASTA)–a testing and proving facility that will house a “virtual” C Series test aircraft designed to assess systems for reliability and functionality a full year before the first prototype flies.
Once complete, CIASTA will house the C Series Integrated Systems Test and Certification Rig (ISTCR)–the so-called “iron bird.” This is intended to facilitate early product maturity by testing flight control systems, avionics, electrical and environmental controls. Other test articles planned for the building include an interiors rig, a systems integration test stand and engineering simulator, and flight controls integration lab.
