Bombardier Global

The large cabin business jets built by Bombardier are clearly a derivative of the Challenger series and Regional Jet series 100/200. This is especially visible when looking at the front of the fuselage as the cockpit windows and cabin windows are the same (at least for most versions). However, the Globals have a slightly different tail with no bullet fairing at the top, but still with an intake in the short dorsal fin. The tail cone is rounded and has an APU exhaust on the right. Finally, the engines have a single exhaust. 

To differentiate between the Global subtypes you have to look at

• the fuselage length
• the number of cabin windows
• the size of the cabin windows
• the top of the vertical stabiliser
• the angle of the winglets

The Global Express was the first version of the Global series. The Global Express XRS is an improved Global Express. It is as big as its predecessor and is supposed to have an additional windows on each side: thirteen to the left, fourteen on the right. This results in less space between the cockit windows and the first cabin window. This is especially visibile on the right side, see photos below. However, we are not sure whether older Global Expresses have this extra cabin window as well, or that the number of cabin windows was optional.

Global 6000 is a new marketing name for the Global Express XRS, to bring it more in line with the rest of the Global line-up. It is not different from the XRS.

The Global 6500 is a Global 6000 with Rolls Royce Pearl engines and re-contoured wings. The engine nacelles are the same however, and the wing shape change is probably not visible either. So there is no way of distinguishing the Global 6500 from the Global 6000.

The Global 5000 is somewhat shorter than the Global Express. So if you think: “what a short Global Express!”, it is probably a Global 5000. But you probably have to see them side by side to make the difference clearly visible. You can probably not trust the number of windows considering the story for the Global Express XRS.

Like the Global 6500 the Global 5500 is an improved Global 5000 with different engines and re-shaped wings. However, the external differences are not noticable.

The Global 7500 is an improved Global 6000 to compete with the Gulfstream G650ER. It is more than three metres longer than the Global 6000, which makes it look more like a Regional Jet Series 700. The main difference compared to the CRJ700 is that the engines have a single exhaust, whereas the CRJ700s have a separate fan exhaust. Also the Global 7500 has a different top of the vertical stabiliser. Finally the cabin windows are significantly larger and the winglets are canted outward.

The Global 8000 was to be shorter than the Global 7500, but eventually it got the same dimensions as the 7500. There are supposed to be differences in the leading edge slats and the winglets, allowing it to fly faster and further. However, the details still elude us. Existing Global 7500s can be modified to 8000s, so indeed the differences cannot be that big.

The Royal Air Force operated an airborne battlefield and ground surveillance version of the BD‑700, designed as Sentinel R1. It is fitted with large bulbs on top of and below the fuselage. To compensate for the disturbances, the Sentinel has two ventral fins and an extension on top of the vertical stabiliser.

The US Air Force has a similarly configured aircraft for battlefield support, known as E-11A.

Another military version is the GlobalEye, designated S106 in Swedish service. It is an airborne early warning variant, with a large bar placed above the fuselage. Like the Sentinel and E-11 this version has two ventral fins. In additiona, there are small fins halfway the horizontal stabilisers, up and down.

This modified Global 6500 is an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft of the United States Army. Athena stands for Army Theater-level High-altitude Expeditionary Next Airborne. It has the same canoe shaped bulge underneath the front fuselage as the E-11A and Sentinel R1. Also, the tail and ventral fins are the same. The Athena has no dome on top of the fuselage though, but many blade antennas, including T-shaped ones.