Lear Jet
Encyclopedia
Learjet is a manufacturer of business jet
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...

s for civilian and military use. It was founded in the late 1950s by William Powell Lear
Bill Lear
William Powell Lear was an American inventor and businessman. He is best known for founding the Lear Jet Corporation, a manufacturer of business jets...

 as Swiss American Aviation Corporation. Learjet is now a subsidiary of Bombardier
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...

 and marketed as the "Bombardier Learjet Family".

History

The Learjet started life as an abortive Swiss ground-attack fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

, the FFA P-16
FFA P-16
|-References:NotesBibliography* Green, William and Gerald Pollinger.Die Flugzeuge der Welt . Zürich, Switzerland: Werner Classen Verlag, 1960....

. Development started in 1952 and prototypes were ordered the next year. The first prototypes flew in 1955 and construction and testing continued until 1958 when an order for 100 was placed. This was reversed soon after due to a crash of the third prototype. Two additional prototypes were finished, the last in 1960, but the project was ended at this point.

The basic structure of this aircraft was seen by Bill Lear and his team as a good starting point to the development of a business jet, which was originally intended to be called the SAAC-23. The wing with its distinctive tip fuel tanks and landing gear of the first Learjets were little changed from those used by the fighter prototypes. The tooling for building the aircraft was purchased and moved to Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...

, in 1962. LearJet was in a temporary office which opened in September 1962 while the plant at Wichita's airport was under construction. On February 7, 1963 assembly of the first Learjet began. The next year, the company was renamed the Lear Jet Corporation.

The original Learjet 23
Learjet 23
-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–1966. London:Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965.**-External links:*...

 was a six- to eight- seater and first flew
Maiden flight
The maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. This is similar to a ship's maiden voyage....

 on October 7, 1963, with the first production model being delivered in October 1964. Just over a month later, Lear Jet became a publicly-owned corporation. Several derived models followed, with the Model 24
Learjet 24
|-See also:-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0-354-00538-3.-External links:**...

 first flying on February 24, 1966 and the Model 25
Learjet 25
|-See also:-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0-354-00538-3.-External links:**...

 first flying on August 12, 1966. On September 19 of the same year, the company was renamed Lear Jet Industries Inc.

On April 10, 1967, Bill Lear's stock he held approximately 60% of the company (US$27,000,000) was acquired by the Gates Rubber Company of Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

, United States, with Lear remaining on the board until April 2, 1969.

About this time it was hoped to make the Learjet the first supersonic business jet, with the ability to accelerate vertically upward. The Learjet made several visits to the Ag Aviation Academy at Reno/Stead Airport, with the chief pilot holding informal talks to students.

Merger with Gates Aviation

In 1969, the company was merged with Gates Aviation and the company name was changed to Gates Learjet Corporation. In 1971, the first Model 25 powered by a Garrett TFE731-2
Honeywell TFE731
|-See also:-External links:*...

 turbofan
Turbofan
The turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...

 engine was flown. This aircraft later became the successful Learjet 35. That year, the company was awarded the President's "E" Award for promoting export sales.

In 1974, the worldwide Learjet fleet had exceeded the one-million-flight-hours mark and in 1975 the company produced its 500th jet. In both instances they were the first manufacturer to do so. By late 1976, the company had increased the number of aircraft being produced each month to 10.

On August 24, 1977, the Learjet 28 made its first flight. The Learjet 28/29 was based on the Learjet 25, and received a completely new wing fitted with winglets, resulting in improved performance and fuel economy. The Learjet 28/29 became the first production jet aircraft to utilize these winglets, which are now a common sight on most business and commercial airplanes. The winglets inspired the name "Longhorn" for the short-lived Learjet 28/29 series and for some of the more successful models that followed.

On April 19, 1979, the prototype for the Model 54/55/56
Learjet 55
-Development and design:The Learjet 50 series was first announced at the 1977 Paris air show with larger cabins than the current Learjets. The series was to have three variants, the Learjet 54, 55 and 56 but only the Learjet 55 was built. The Learjet 55 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with NASA...

 series had its first flight, and on July 7, 1983 a standard production Model 55 set six new time-to-climb records for its weight class.

In 1984, Gates Learjet announced the start of their Aerospace Division, a high technology endeavor. However, by the end of the year the company had ceased production of its commercial jets in an effort to reduce inventories. This lasted until February 1986, when the company headquarters were transferred to Tucson, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

, and production was restarted both in Wichita and Tucson.

On September 10, 1985, the Aerospace Division was awarded a contract to produce parts for the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

's main engines. In 1987, Gates Learjet was acquired by Integrated Acquisition and the next year the name was changed to Learjet Corporation. By January 1989 all production had been moved from the Tucson facility back to Wichita.

Bombardier

In 1990, Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...

 purchased the Learjet Corporation. The aircraft were then marketed as the "Bombardier Learjet Family". On October 10, 1990, the Learjet 60
Learjet 60
The Learjet 60 is a mid-size cabin, medium range business jet aircraft manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace in Wichita, Kansas, USA. The Learjet 60 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada model 305A turbo fan engines producing 4,600 total pounds of thrust. The manufacturer notes the range of the...

 mid-sized aircraft flew its first flight, followed on October 7, 1995 by the Learjet 45
Learjet 45
-See also:-References:* Taylor, Michael J.H. Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000. London:Brassey's, 1999. ISBN 1 85753 245 7.-External links:*...

. In October 2007 Bombardier Learjet launched a brand new aircraft program, the Learjet 85
Learjet 85
-External links:* * * *...

. It was the first FAR Part-25 all-composite business aircraft.

On October 7, 2008, Bombardier celebrated Learjet's historic 45th anniversary of the first flight ever by a Learjet. As a way to commemorate this, Bombardier Business aircraft (a division of Bombardier inc.) decided to launch the Year of Learjet campaign, a year-long celebration to honor Learjet's contribution as a pioneer to the private business jet industry. One of the most memorable event to mark this celebration occurred at the Farnborough Air Show
Farnborough Air Show
The Farnborough International Airshow is a seven-day international trade fair for the aerospace industry which is held in even-numbered years in mid-July at Farnborough Airfield in Hampshire, England....

, when Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 racing driver Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...

 raced a Learjet and won.

Records

A Learjet held the previous speed record for the journey from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 to Washington DC
at 4hrs 12mins, which was succeeded by the Lockheed SR-71 at 64mins.

Aircraft

  • Learjet 23
    Learjet 23
    -References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–1966. London:Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965.**-External links:*...

     – (Lear Jet)
  • Learjet 24
    Learjet 24
    |-See also:-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0-354-00538-3.-External links:**...

     – (Lear Jet & Gates Learjet)
  • Learjet 25
    Learjet 25
    |-See also:-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0-354-00538-3.-External links:**...

     – (Lear Jet & Gates Learjet)
  • Learjet 28
    Learjet 28
    -See also:-References:*Michell, Simon. Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0 7106 1208 7.-External links:***...

     – (Gates Learjet)
  • Learjet 29
    Learjet 28
    -See also:-References:*Michell, Simon. Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0 7106 1208 7.-External links:***...

     – (Gates Learjet)
  • Learjet 31 – (Lear Jet & Gates Learjet)
  • Learjet 35 – (Learjet, Gates Learjet & Shin Meiwa). Known as the C-21 in U.S. Air Force
    United States Air Force
    The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

     service.
  • Learjet 36 – (Gates Learjet). Basically a Learjet 35 with increased range. This increase is possible through the removal of two seats for an extra fuel tank.
  • Learjet 40
    Learjet 40
    -See also:-External links:* *...

     – (Learjet)
  • Learjet 45
    Learjet 45
    -See also:-References:* Taylor, Michael J.H. Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000. London:Brassey's, 1999. ISBN 1 85753 245 7.-External links:*...

     – (Learjet)
  • Learjet 55
    Learjet 55
    -Development and design:The Learjet 50 series was first announced at the 1977 Paris air show with larger cabins than the current Learjets. The series was to have three variants, the Learjet 54, 55 and 56 but only the Learjet 55 was built. The Learjet 55 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with NASA...

     – (Gates Learjet)
  • Learjet 60
    Learjet 60
    The Learjet 60 is a mid-size cabin, medium range business jet aircraft manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace in Wichita, Kansas, USA. The Learjet 60 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada model 305A turbo fan engines producing 4,600 total pounds of thrust. The manufacturer notes the range of the...

     – (Learjet)
  • Learjet 85
    Learjet 85
    -External links:* * * *...

     - (Learjet)

See also

  • Short Brothers
    Short Brothers
    Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...

  • Canadair
    Canadair
    Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. It was a subsidiary of other aircraft manufacturers, then a nationalized corporation until privatized in 1986, and became the core of Bombardier Aerospace....

  • de Havilland Canada
    De Havilland Canada
    The de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. company was an aircraft manufacturer with facilities based in what is now the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada...

  • Bombardier Aerospace
    Bombardier Aerospace
    Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...

  • LearStar 600

External links

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