Learjet, 1960 USA, aeronautical manufacturer information

Name: Learjet
Country: USA
Founded: 1960
Defunct: 1986

Learjet history

Learjet is the brand name for a family of twin-engine business jets. Since 1990, the Learjets have been manufactured under the leadership of Bombardier. The Bombardier subsidiary in Wichita, Kansas, operates under the name Learjet Inc. Prior to this, the aircraft manufacturer went through a series of name changes, all with the aim of producing small jet aircraft.

In the late 1950s, businessman William P. Lear developed a twin-engine business jet. To produce and market his design, he founded the Swiss American Aviation Corporation (SAAC) in Switzerland. His business jet was originally named the SAAC-23.

Seeing better market prospects in the United States, Lear moved the company to Wichita, Kansas, in 1962. It was there that the assembly of the aircraft, now named the Learjet, began, starting with Learjet No. 1. The wings of the aircraft were taken from the planned Swiss fighter aircraft, the FFA P-16.

In April 1963, SAAC was transformed into Lear Jet Corporation. The first prototype took flight on October 7, 1963, and a little over a year later, on October 13, 1964, the first production model, the Learjet 23, was delivered. The model was well-received, leading to further development. In 1966, the Learjet 24 was created and was approved as a commercial aircraft, a first for a business jet. In the same year, the Learjet 25 made its first flight. On September 19, 1966, the company was renamed Lear Jet Industries Inc., after delivering over 100 units.

In 1967, the Gates Rubber Company became a part of Lear Jet Industries Inc. to help market the aircraft worldwide, leading to the creation of Gates Aviation. By November 27, 1968, the 200th Learjet was delivered.

William P. Lear left the company in 1969, passing away on May 14, 1978, in Reno, Nevada.

In 1969, Lear Jet Industries Inc. merged with Gates Aviation to form Gates Learjet.

In 1972, the Learjet 25 was equipped with Garrett AiResearch TFE731-2 turbines, a turbofan engine that was significantly quieter and more fuel-efficient than the turbojets previously used. That same year, Learjet was granted approval to operate from unpaved runways.

The Learjet 35 made its first flight on August 22, 1973. In the following year, both the Learjet 35 and 36 were approved for commercial use. By 1975, the 500th Learjet was delivered.

The Learjet 24/25 models received approval in 1977 to operate at an altitude of 51,000 feet (15,545 meters), a height previously unreachable for commercial aircraft. On August 24 of the same year, the Learjet 28 made its first flight.

The Learjet 28/29 models were approved in 1979, and on April 19, the prototype for a completely new series, the Learjet 54/55/56, made its first flight. In 1980, the 1000th Learjet was delivered. Over the following years, many detailed improvements were made to existing models, including versions with extended range. In 1983, the U.S. Department of Defense ordered 80 Learjet 35 aircraft, and a space division was established to later supply components for the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters. In the fall of 1984, production was temporarily halted to reduce large inventory stock. New production facilities were established in Tucson, Arizona, in 1986, and the company headquarters was relocated there. Aircraft production resumed in both Tucson and Wichita.

In the fall of 1987, Integrated Acquisition, Inc. took control of Gates Learjet Corporation, which was soon renamed Learjet Corporation. Production was shifted back to Kansas from Arizona.

On June 29, 1990, Bombardier Aerospace acquired Learjet Corporation. The current version of the Learjet 60, the Learjet 60XR, had its first flight on April 3, 2006. It was FAA-certified on June 4, 2007, with deliveries beginning on July 30, 2007.

On June 16, 2006, both the Learjet 45 and 60 models were sold for the 300th time, with the 300th Learjet 45 going to the United States and the 300th Learjet 60 going to Finland. In 2012, Bombardier introduced the successor models to the Learjet 40XR and 45XR, the Learjet 70 and 75.

The project for the Learjet 85, made from composite materials (formerly known as Learjet NXT), began on October 30, 2007. This marked a departure from the traditional metal construction used for previous models, making it a new design. However, the development of the Learjet 85 was canceled in February 2015 due to a lack of demand.

On February 11, 2021, it was announced that Bombardier would end Learjet production in the fourth quarter of 2021, effectively discontinuing the entire program. The last Learjet 75 was delivered on March 28, 2022.

Learjet aircrafts

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