Bill Lear | International Aviation HQ

Bombardier Challenger 604: A First Among Equals

9Apr

By Charles YongzhengNo Comments

Executive

Bombardier Challenger 604: A First Among Equals

The Challenger 600 series is known for being one of the most popular family of business jets ever built. For the Bombardier Challenger 604, however, it holds a distinct honor: The most popular of the series. Indeed, of the 1,066 aircraft built in the Challenger 600 series to date, 365 have been the Challenger 604 variant. And this isn't for any other reason than it's the best on the market! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background Having sold his stake in Learjet to the Gates Rubber Company of Denver, Colorado in 1967 and left its board in 1969, Bill Lear set about his next project: designing a longer range business jet better than those then on the market. By 1974, Lear had come up with a design he called the LearStar 600, a low-wing, tw...

26Mar

By Salomón MarcoNo Comments

History

How Learjet Failed…

Ask anyone to name a private jet, and they will respond with the same company: Learjet. Yet despite having created the modern business jet, the company's recent ceasing of aircraft production clearly signals how Learjet as a company, has failed... In its nearly 60 year history, the company delivered a total of 3058 aircraft to customers on every inhabited continent, becoming an icon in the process. But alas, the company is little more than a shell of its once-great self. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); History Before we can discuss how and why Learjet has failed, we must first look at the background of the company and how it has evolved over the years. Founding In 1962, self-taught American engineer Bill Lear decided enough was enough. ...

11Dec

By Alya KulikovaNo Comments

Executive

Learjet 23: The First Business Jet

The brain child of genius inventor and engineer Bill Lear, the Learjet 23 was the first purpose-built business jet and singlehandedly birthed the modern business aviation industry as we know it! Despite its two year production run (1964-1966), 101 Learjet 23s were built and it served as the basis for the next 30 years of Learjet aircraft, including the now-famous Learjet 24, Learjet 31 and Learjet 35... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background When WWII ended, the world scrambled to develop a domestic fighter jet. You see, during the war, both the British and Germans had succeeded in not only building their own fighter jets, but also using them in combat... often with deadly results. Though this international scramble was spearheaded by ...

How Bill Lear Created The Modern Business Jet

16Oct

By Christopher HarrowNo Comments

History

How Bill Lear Created The Modern Business Jet

Remembered for being the man behind the famed Learjet, Bill Lear did much more than just build the first modern business jet: he also built radios, cassette players, battery eliminators and much more! A high school dropout and former Navy seaman who came from a broken home, Bill had a reputation for being difficult to work with and hard on his employees, constantly pushing them to push beyond the boundaries of modern technology, almost as if he had something to prove. But beneath his rough exterior was a great sense of humor, which could make even his most serious employees cry with laughter. His sense of humor even extended to the names of his children, such as his third daughter who was called Crystal Shanda Lear! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); ...