Bombardier Challenger 601-3A/3R
The Challenger 601-3A brought a Sperry SPZ-8000 glass cockpit and uprated CF34-3A engines to Canadair's wide-body business jet in 1987, and the 601-3R of 1993 added CF34-3A1 engines and a standard tail fuel tank. About 190 of the two versions were built before the Challenger 604 replaced them, and they remain among the least expensive ways into an 8 ft wide stand-up cabin.
In short: The Bombardier Challenger 601-3A/3R is a Large Jet with a range of 3,504 nm, a cruise speed of 459 knots and room for 9 passengers. Pre-owned examples trade around $1M–$2.5M and costs roughly $3,700 an hour to operate (estimate).
3,504 nm
Range
459 kts
Max cruise
9–12
Passengers
—
New price
Highlights
- First Challenger with a glass cockpit (SPZ-8000)
- About 3,500 nm range in 601-3R form
- Wide-body cabin at a low acquisition cost
Performance
- Range
- 3,504 nm
- Max cruise
- 459 kts
- Max altitude
- 41,000 ft
- Takeoff distance
- 6,050 ft
- Landing distance
- 3,300 ft
- MTOW
- 45,100 lb
- Engines
- 2 × GE CF34-3A / CF34-3A1
- Thrust per engine
- 8,729 lbf
- Fuel burn
- 352 gal/hr
- Avionics
- Honeywell (Sperry) SPZ-8000
Cabin
- Passengers
- 9 / 12
- Cabin length
- 28.3 ft
- Cabin width
- 8.2 ft
- Cabin height
- 6.1 ft
- Cabin volume
- 1,035 cu ft
- Baggage
- Not published
- Min. crew
- 2
Economics
- New price
- —
- Variable cost / hr
- $3,700
- Fixed cost / yr
- $950,000
- First delivery
- 1987
- Out of production
- 1996
- Units built
- 194
- Pre-owned range
- $1M – $2.5M
Estimates. Operating costs and pre-owned prices are modelled from industry benchmarks and updated quarterly. Data reviewed 2026-09-13. Sources & methodology.
Dimensions & weights
- Length
- 68.4 ft
- Wingspan
- 64.3 ft
- Height
- 20.7 ft
- Max fuel
- 17,635 lb
Sources (7)
Pre-owned range & Residual value curve
Pre-owned range
$1M – $2.5M
Estimates. Operating costs and pre-owned prices are modelled from industry benchmarks and updated quarterly.
Residual value curve
Estimated value retention over 10 years from new, by category depreciation model.
Year 10: 50% ≈ $1.3M
Compare with similar private jets
Compare: Challenger 601-3A/3R vs Legacy 600 vs Falcon 2000EX vs G350 →
Sources and credits
- Bombardier Challenger 601-3A/3R · Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons