Check out the Canadian airliner that's trying to challenge Boeing

Bombardier Aerospace announced late last week that Delta Air Lines agreed to order 75 of the company's C-Series airliners in a deal worth up to $5.6 billion.

Shortly after the deal's announcement, Bombardier flew one of its C-Series demonstrators down to Delta's Atlanta headquarters for journalists and the the airline's staff to get a closer look.

Although Bombardier has been a global leader in business and regional jets, the C-Series is the first product from the Canadian airplane to compete against Boeing and Airbus in the mainline market.

The decision to enter the market with the C Series was a major financial gamble for Bombardier with program price tag of $5.5 billion. Since its inception more than a decade ago, the aircraft has been beset by a series of development delays and slow sales.

Last year, the airplane maker was forced to write down $4.4 billion and take a $1 billion bailout from the Quebec government.

Even as it struggled to close a sale, Bombardier was credited with building an aircraft that's one of the most capable on the market today - besting its rivals from Boeing and Airbus in terms of efficiency and ability.

With the Delta order, Bombardier not only has found a US launch customer for the C Series, it has the blockbuster deal it needed to validate the attractiveness of aircraft to other prospective buyers.

The Bombardier C Series enters service later this year with SWISS.

Here's a closer look at the airliner.