Learjet
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| Learjet | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Fate | incorporated into Bombardier. |
| Successor | Bombardier Aerospace |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Location | Wichita, Kansas |
Learjet is a manufacturer of business jets for civilian and military use. It was founded in the late 1950s by William Powell Lear Jr. as Swiss American Aviation Corporation. Learjet is now a subsidiary of Bombardier and marketed as the "Bombardier Learjet Family".
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[edit] History
The Learjet started life as an abortive Swiss ground-attack fighter aircraft, the FFA P-16. 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 in 1962. On February 7, assembly of the first Learjet began. The next year, the company was renamed the Lear Jet Corporation.
The original Learjet 23 was a six to eight seater and first flew 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 first flying on February 24 1966 and the Model 25 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, all of Bill Lear's assets – he held approximately 60% of the company (US$27,000,000) – were acquired by the Gates Rubber Company of Denver, Colorado, United States. However, Lear remained on the board until April 2, 1969. Later, 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 turbofan 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 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, the 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, 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's main engines.
In 1987, the 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. The next year, 1990, Bombardier Aerospace purchased the Learjet Corporation. The aircraft were then marketed as the "Bombardier Learjet Family".
On October 10, 1990, the Learjet 60 mid-sized aircraft flew its first flight, followed on October 7, 1995 by the Learjet 45.
In October 2007 Bombardier Learjet launched a brand new aircraft program, the Learjet 85 the first FAR Part-25 all composite business aircraft.
On October 7, 2008, Bombardier will be celebrating 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.
[edit] Aircraft
The ICAO designators as used in flight plans are for the various models are as follows. The ICAO listing of the company name is in parenthesis:
- Learjet 23 – LJ23 (Lear Jet)
- Learjet 24 – LJ24 (Lear Jet & Gates Learjet)
- Learjet 25 – LJ25 (Lear Jet & Gates Learjet)
- Learjet 28 – LJ28 (Gates Learjet)
- Learjet 29 – LJ28 (Gates Learjet)
- Learjet 31 – LJ31 (Lear Jet & Gates Learjet)
- Learjet 35 – LJ35 (Learjet, Gates Learjet & Shin Meiwa). Known as the C-21 in U.S. Air Force service.
- Learjet 36 – LJ35 (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 – LJ40 (Learjet)
- Learjet 45 – LJ45 (Learjet)
- Learjet 55 – LJ55 (Gates Learjet)
- Learjet 60 – LJ60 (Learjet)
- Learjet 85 - LJ85 (Learjet)
[edit] Incidents and accidents
On December 24, 1996, a Learjet 35A, flying from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Lebanon, New Hampshire, disappeared off the radar on an missed approach to Lebanon Municipal Airport. The plane was executing the missed approach command at that time. The last radar contact was heading outbound, seven nautical miles northeast of the VOR at 4800 ft. After the longest airplane search in the state's history, they found the wreckage of the airplane on Smarts Mountain, on November 13, 1999, 20 miles away from the airport in a forest. The aircraft had descended into the ground 10.3 nm earlier than normal. There were only 2 pilots on the plane, and they both died.
On October 25, 1999, a Learjet 35 carrying Payne Stewart and several others passengers experienced a loss of cabin pressure for undetermined reasons, which incapacitated the flight crew. The jet continued to fly over several states on autopilot until all fuel was exhausted and the plane crashed near Aberdeen, South Dakota. (See 1999 South Dakota Learjet crash)
On May 2, 2000, F1 race driver David Coulthard survived a Learjet 35 crash. His chartered aircraft was travelling from Farnborough Airfield to Côte d'Azur International Airport when it developed engine trouble, and crashed while making an emergency landing at Saint-Exupéry International Airport near Lyon, France. While Coulthard received only minor injuries, the front of the aircraft disintegrated upon impact, killing both pilots.
On June 2, 2006 a Learjet 35 registered to Christian televangelist Pat Robertson crashed a half-mile short of the runway at Groton-New London Airport in Groton, Connecticut. Both pilots were killed, however the three passengers aboard escaped without injury. Robertson was not aboard the plane.
On November 4, 2007, a Learjet 35A crashed in São Paulo, Brazil, after a failed take off attempt. It destroyed a house in a residential area near the Campo de Marte Airport, killing the pilot, co-pilot and 6 people of the same family who were in the house.[1]
[edit] In Popular Culture
As one of the earliest business jets to go into widespread use, the Learjet has been a prominent aircraft featured in both television and cinema. A few notable appearances include:
- In the 2003 film S.W.A.T. the antagonists land a Learjet on a bridge in their getaway attempt, but the jet is rammed into by the S.W.A.T. commandeered limousine before it can take off causing it's landing gear to crumble and the jet to spin to a halt on the bridge.
- In the Pink Floyd song "Money", David Gilmour sings: ".....I think I need a LearJet."
- In the song "What a feeling" by Collie Buddz and Paul Wall, Wall raps, "Baby flyer than a LearJet"
- In the fantasy series Artemis Fowl, Artemis Fowl II is known for his LearJet.
In the TV series "The O.C", Episode "The Girl Friend" Caleb Nichol, making his first appearance in the Season One, arrived at the Cohen's house in a LearJet.
- In a song with famous rapper, "50 Cent" Tony Yayo sings, "Baby let me fly you in my Lear."
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