Compare · a super-mid against a heavy at overlapping rates
Challenger 3500 vs Challenger 650
The Challenger 650 costs about $1,200 an hour more. What that buys, and what it closes off: the Challenger 3500 can use KMVY and the other cannot.
| Class | Super-mid · Heavy |
|---|---|
| Seats | 9 · 12 |
| Range | 3,400 · 4,000 nm |
| Hourly | $7,500 · $8,700 |
Specification against specification
Published figures. The better of the two on each measure is marked.
| Measure | Challenger 3500 | Challenger 650 |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 9 | 12 |
| Range | 3,400 nm | 4,000 nm |
| Cruise | 470 kt | 470 kt |
| Cabin heightThe specification that most changes how a four-hour flight feels. | 6.1 ft | 6.1 ft |
| Cabin length | 28.6 ft | 28.3 ft |
| Runway neededShorter is better: it decides which fields are open to you. | 4,835 ft | 5,640 ft |
| WingspanSpan-limited fields refuse on this number alone. | 69.2 ft | 64.3 ft |
| Hourly rate | $7,500–9,200 | $8,700–10,600 |
On Teterboro to West Palm Beach — 902 nm, a route both can fly — the Challenger 3500 prices at about $20,500 and the Challenger 650 at $23,500: a difference of $3,100 for the same trip. Estimates, not offers.
Where only one of them can go
Busy fields where one is excluded outright by published runway length or a wingspan limit. This decides more trips than any range figure.
| Field | Open to | Why the other cannot |
|---|---|---|
| KMVY Martha's Vineyard, MA | Challenger 3500 | needs 5,640 ft at sea level; KMVY has 5,504 ft |
Which one for your trip
A specification comparison answers which aircraft is better. It cannot answer which is available on your date, near your departure field, at a price worth paying — and that is usually what decides it. Ask, and a broker checks both with contracted operators.
Both aircraft in full
- Challenger 3500 specification, range and rate
- Challenger 650 specification, range and rate
Other comparisons
Reference
- The full fleet 25 aircraft
- All comparisons 62 pairs
- Why runway beats range