Nextant Aerospace completes first flight of Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion equipped Challenger 604

Nextant Aerospace, builders of the 400XTi, G90XT, and newly announced Challenger 604XT, announced that it had successfully completed the first flight of the Pro Line Fusion® equipped Challenger 604 aircraft. Having just announced the program at EBACE this past summer, the test flight has taken place just 3 months after the launch of the program.

“I’m extremely proud of our development team,” stated Nextant executive, Mark O’Donnell. “The initial system integration went very well and the fact we have now entered the flight test segment of our certification effort is a testament to the great work and collaboration that has taken place between the teams at Nextant and Rockwell Collins.”

The aircraft completed 2 flight segments and will continue with flight test protocols for the remainder of this week before flying the test article to NBAA for the first public showing of the new cockpit next month in Las Vegas.

“The cockpit performed flawlessly today,” stated Nathan Marker, VP of Flight Operations for Nextant Aerospace and Chief Test Pilot. “Having worked on several programs in the past, I am most impressed by the forward fit nature of this integration. Historically, retrofit applications have lacked some of the functionality that can be found with the latest technology seen on new production aircraft. The Pro Line Fusion cockpit not only addresses pending regulatory and obsolescence requirements that the Challenger is facing, it also provides the flight crew with the absolute latest in forward fit technology. The touch-interactive technology that is unique to this system is very intuitive and the overall integration provides exceptional situational awareness for the flight crew,” stated Captain Marker.

Nextant is now scheduling appointments for operators to tour the new cockpit during NBAA next month in Las Vegas.