About the Real Learjet
An early verison of the Learjet 24 in flight. (NASA photo) |
Up until the 1960's, executives flew around in pistonpowered propeller aircraft. These machines were usually conversions from WWII light bombers and transporters. Although many of them were faster, hot-rodded versions of the originals, as airlines adopted turbine power many executives were now considering commercial travel to save time and gain the comfort of flying above the weather in a pressurized cabin.
Bill Lear recognized this as a market opportunity and became focused on providing the American businessman with personal jet-propelled transportation. As an inventive entrepreneur, Lear was already providing converted WWII machines to the market he coveted so he understood what his customers needed. Nothing other than a high-performance jet would do.
Lear's son who was working in Switzerland at the time came across a jet fighter aircraft design which he thought would serve as a base for the new jet's design. The Swiss P-16, as it was then known, had an aerodynamic configuration that served the purpose well and so the Swiss American Aircraft Corporation (SAAC) was founded. The new executive aircraft would be called the SAAC-23.
After the initial honeymoon, the working culture of the Americans and the Swiss seemed irreconcilable so Lear swiftly decided to move the entire operation to Wichita, Kansas. After months of 24/7 shifts, the small company saw its efforts rewarded on September 15th 1963 when the first Model 23 was rolled out and on October 7th 1963, when N801L, the world's first civilian private jet, took off for a successful first flight.
Although the new aircraft promised to take the executive market by storm, cash flow difficulties threatened the project. Lear's response was to sell Lear Jet Corporation stock to the public. The company became public in November 1964.
During the next couple of years, a few accidents earned the small jet the reputation of a difficult aircraft to fly. These accidents were later blamed on insufficient pilot training and insufficient systems redundancy. Lear Jet Corporation responded with the Model 24 which although similar to the 23 now had airline-style systems with the appropriate redundancy to remain safe in all weather conditions. Pilot training programs were also put in place to ease the transition for private pilots moving up from propeller airplanes.
In 1966, Lear also responded to the market's desire for more passenger capacity by rolling out the Model 25, essentially a stretched version of the 24 with an extra seat row. Model 25 would prove even more successful and is still recognized today by enthusiasts around the world as one of the most elegant civilian aircraft to ever grace the skies. 1966 was also the year when a Model 23 broke the around-the-world record by completing the trip in 50 hours and 20 minutes.
Such aeronautical successes unfortunately were not enough to counter persistent financial problems within the corporation and in 1967, the Gates Rubber Company became the controlling shareholder of Lear Jet Corporation. With the backing of such solid ownership, Lear Jet could now concentrate of its development.
Under Gates ownership, the company changed its name to the Gates Learjet Corporation. The 20 Series continued to be developed into state-of-the-art precision flying machines becoming better, more luxurious and easier to fly. Your new add-on package is inspired from the 20 Series of the Gates era.
Gates ownership also saw the transition from straightturbojet to more efficient turbofan power. The 20 Series aircraft were all powered by the ubiquitous General Electric CJ-610 turbojet engine, a simple, lightweight and powerful single-spool turbojet derived from the military General Electric J-85 engine. The CJ-610 engine gave the 20 Series an astonishing climb performance and highaltitude cruise. It was however noisy and fuel-thirsty so it was no surprise that in the wake of the 1973 fuel crisis, a new engine, the Garrett TFE-731 turbofan, was chosen. Although slightly less spirited than the CJ-610 it replaces, the TFE-731 offers far better range, less noise and less air pollution.
The Garrett-powered Learjets became known as the 30 Series and warranted yet another fuselage stretch. Models 35 and 36 were presented to the public in mid-1973. During the 1970s, the 20 Series continued to be developed and sold, as many operators preferred their simplicity and performance. In august 1977, a new aircraft was flown. It had a new wing that replaced the traditional tip tanks with upswept winglets which provided a dramatic reduction of induced drag, therefore stretching range and enhancing climb performance. It was known as the Model 28, and along with its longer-range sister ship the Model 29, represented the epitome of the straight-turbojet executive aircraft.
The end of the 1970's saw the turbofan take over the market and the 20 Series was gradually abandoned. At the end of the 1980's, many airports around the world had banned the 20 Series aircraft due to noise restrictions. Today, a few remain in marginal use, some as cargo aircraft and some in service in countries where altitude considerations predominate.
During the 1980's, development continued with the Model 55, essentially a Learjet with a larger fuselage with stand-up cabin and later transcontinental range. By the end of the decade, ownership of the company had changed hands a few times only to be acquired by Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. by mid-1990's. Learjet was integrated into Bombardier's operations which made the Canadian company the world's third largest aircraft manufacturer.
Under Bombardier ownership, the 40 Series came to life with the Model 45, a technologically advanced, roomy and efficient aircraft for the new millennium, entirely designed with computers. The longevity of this aircraft family and the commitment of its current owners is a testimony to Bill Lear's original vision and the way it forever changed business travel.
