Indianapolis Jet Center OK’d for CRJ conversion
Indianapolis Jet Center (Booth No.

Indianapolis Jet Center (Booth No. 4893) has received an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) for a CRJ200 executive/VIP conversion that was recently delivered to its new owner in the People’s Republic of China.

The Indianapolis-based independent completion and refurbishment center’s president, Randy Keeker, said this is the first multiple STC from the FAA for the aircraft and applies to any CL 600-2B19 series from Bombarder, including the Challenger 850.

Among items included under the STC are two lavatories (including the first vacuum toilet approval for a CRJ200 conversion), 16-g seating, a secure cockpit door, LED lighting and a cockpit avionics upgrade.

With auxiliary fuel tanks from PATS Aircraft Completions, the airplane has a range of slightly more than 3,000 nm with four passengers. The additional range is attributed in part to a “feather-weight” interior design that includes an interior shell designed by Indianapolis Jet Center and manufactured locally. The shell was created specifically to allow an interior conversion that replicates that of Bombardier’s Global Express, said Keeker. “It’s the same cabin in an airplane derived from the same original Challenger platform, but for a lot less money,” he added.

The final cost, according to Keeker, can vary widely but starts at about $14 million. That includes maintenance, avionics upgrade, auxiliary fuel tanks and fuel system, and exterior paint and an interior configured for 15 passengers. The greatest cost variables come with the aircraft acquisition and the complexity of the interior completion. These can drive the final price up closer to $20 million. On the other hand, that’s less than half that of a new Global Express XRS and about $7 million less than a new Challenger 850, both of which offer comparable cabin size.