US Air Force designations: C-40B and C-40C

TYPE: Large business jet.

PROGRAMME: Launched July 1996. Aircraft are assembled at Boeing Commercial Airplane Group's Renton facility and supplied to Boeing Business Jets, which hands them over in 'green' condition to customers and delivers them to DeCrane Aircraft at Georgetown, Delaware, for installation of long-range fuel tanks before the aircraft are delivered to the customer's chosen completion centre for interior outfitting and painting; designated completion centres are DeCrane Aircraft and Associated Air Center in Dallas, Texas; Greenpoint Technologies in Seattle, Washington; Ozark Aircraft Services in Bentonville, Arkansas; Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany; and Jet Aviation in Basle, Switzerland, but other completion centres may be used at the discretion of the customer. After completion, Boeing ferries the aircraft to the customer's base and carries out crew training.
First BBJ (101st N-G 737, N737BZ) rolled out 26 July 1998; first flight 4 September 1998; FAA and JAA certification achieved 29 October 1998; supplementary type certificate for long-range tanks awarded 20 May 1999, following demonstration non-stop flight of 6,252.5 n miles (11,580 km; 7,200.4 miles) in 13 hours 57 minutes 42 seconds.
US Air Force ordered first of up to seven C-40Bs in February 2001 to replace Air National Guard C-22s (Boeing 727s) from August 2003 onwards. Initial aircraft (01-0005) completed late 2002. C-40C designation assigned to two former Ford Air Services BBJs acquired in mid-2002 as (02-0201 and -0202) and nominally operated by BCC Equipment Leasing Corp. C-40B has typical accommodation for 11 crew and 26 passengers.

CUSTOMERS: Peak of 85 firm orders by December 2001, at which time 67 'green' airframes had been delivered and 43 completed aircraft were in customer service. By mid-2003 total of 73 BBJs and nine BBJ2s on order including two BBJs in first half 2003. By October 2003, 83 BBJ/BBJ2s sold and same number delivered, of which 68 outfitted and in service. Launch customer General Electric ordered two in July 1996, of which first (N366G) flew 23 October 1993 and delivered 23 November 1998 for outfitting. First delivery of a completed aircraft to Dubai Air Wing Royal Flight 4 September 1999. The BBJ has been proposed for USAF's Commander-in-Chief (CINC) support aircraft requirement.

COSTS: US$40 million 'green', estimated US$49 million to 54 million typically equipped (2002). Direct operating cost estimated at US$1,700 per hour based on operation within the USA and utilisation of 900 hours per year.

DESIGN FEATURES: Combines fuselage of 737-700, strengthened in aft section, with centre-section, wing and landing gear of 737-800. Aviation Partners Inc winglets standard, affording 5 to 7 per cent reduction in cruise drag, resulting in four to five per cent increase in range; winglets evaluated in mid-1998 by 737-800 (N737BX), first flown on BBJ prototype (N737BZ) on 20 February 1999, received FAA approval on 6 September 2000 and fitted as standard.

POWER PLANT: Two CFM International CFM56-7 turbofans, each rated at 121.4 kN (27,300 lb st). Standard N-G 737 fuel of 26,025 litres (6,875 US gallons; 5,725 Imp gallons) contained in wing, plus between three and nine belly tanks; maximum combined capacity 40,582 litres (10,721 US gallons; 8,927 Imp gallons).

ACCOMMODATION: To customer's choice; operating weights based on allowance of 5,624 kg (12,400 lb). Typical configuration includes forward lounge and private suite with double bed; mid-section conference room; 12 first class sleeper seats at 152 cm (60 in) pitch in two rows with centre aisle, and galley, lavatory and service area at rear, with crew rest area, galley and lavatory aft of flight deck. Alternative arrangements provide for exercise room/gymnasium, office, 24 first-class sleeper seats or high-density seating for up to 63 passengers, three abreast in two rows. Maximum 149 passengers in airline configuration. Cabin equivalent altitude reduced to 1,980 m (6,500 ft) from 2004, with retrofit available.

AVIONICS: Rockwell Collins Series 90 as core system.
Comms: Triple VHF comm with 8.33 kHz channel spacing; dual HF comm; L-3 Communications 120-minute CVR and Coltech Selcal.
Flight: Dual Rockwell Collins multimode GPS/ILS/VOR/DME receivers; dual ADF; TCAS II; predictive windshear; dual Smiths Industries flight management computers; dual Honeywell ADIRU; Honeywell EGPWS; L-3 Communications FDR and CVR; Flight Dynamics HGS 4000 head-up guidance system; Teledyne airborne navigation data recorder, digital flight data acquisition unit and quick-access recorder; Teledyne Navlink, including two additional navigation computers and electronic standby artificial horizon.
Instrumentation: Honeywell flat-panel LCD displays.
Mission: Optional Teledyne Telelink. C-40B equipment includes fibre-optic communications management system; worldwide secure voice and data transmission (UHF, VHF, HF, UHF and commercial satcom, Magnastar airphones, UHF/AM, Boeing Connexion data/video Broadband, secure conferencing and Wideband data and LAN).