learjet | International Aviation HQ

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 ...

Learjet 24: The Most Important Learjet Ever?

27Nov

By Christopher HarrowNo Comments

Executive

Learjet 24: The Most Important Learjet Ever?

Background In the early 1950's, the Swiss government initiated a program to develop their own fighter jets, in an apparent attempt to rival the fighter jet programs of neighboring countries. With generous terms and lengthy contracts, Swiss aircraft manufacturers tripped over one another to develop a fighter jet the Swiss Air Force could use. Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein, or FFA for short, was no different. Indeed, they spent thousands of man hours on their P-16 design in the hopes of getting that contract. But despite the Swiss Air Force's interest and a working prototype undergoing flight testing, the P-16 was cancelled due to budget cuts. Though devastating for FFA, the project caught the attention of an American engineer called Bill Lear. Even though e...

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({}); ...

2Oct

By Charles Yongzheng1 Comment

Executive

Learjet 75: The End of an Era…

The newest addition to an aviation dynasty that's almost 60 years old - including the world's first business jet - the Learjet 75 was supposed to be just another member of an aviation dynasty almost everyone's heard of. Yet whilst it has sold over 150 times since 2013 (alongside the shorter range Learjet 70), the Learjet 75 has also marked the end of an era, as Bombardier (Learjet's parent company) ceased production of the jet in 2021. In effect, this has ended the Learjet dynasty that started all those years ago with the Learjet 23... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background In the early 1970's, Learjet engineers were developing a stretched variant of its popular Learjet 25 design with newer engines. Introduced to service in 1974, it wa...

Remembering Canadair: The Rise And Fall of a Canadian Icon!

26May

By Alexander PaskNo Comments

History

Remembering Canadair: The Rise And Fall of a Canadian Icon!

Today, Canadair is remembered for being the Canadian aircraft manufacturer that made Canada an aviation powerhouse, even if its size and scope paled in comparison to the likes of Boeing and Lockheed, who it regularly did business with. Operating between 1944 and 1986, the company would go from being a state-owned company, to a privatized one, only to be renationalized before being sold on and dismantled by its present owners. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Canadair: Canadian Vickers In 1911, British shipbuilding and weapons conglomerate, Vickers, were invited by the Canadian government to establish a Canadian subsidiary, in the hopes that Vickers would begin building ships for the Royal Canadian Navy. This Canadian subsidiary would th...

Learjet 31: Learjet’s Most Versatile Jet Ever!

20Feb

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Executive

Learjet 31: Learjet’s Most Versatile Jet Ever!

Today, Learjet is known for having produced some of the best business jets to have ever flown. Among these jets is definitely the Learjet 31, which as served in a number of capacities since its introduction in 1990. Between 1987 and 2003, Learjet produced a grand total of 246 Learjet 31s. Although a few have been stored, the overwhelming majority of the jets are still in service, with some coming being almost 30 years old! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Development Learjet have been producing business jets since the birth of the industry. Here, they released their Learjet 23, which was subsequently used to design the Learjet 24, Learjet 25 and the Learjet 28/29. Around the mid-1980's, the Learjet 29, Learjet's then-flagship jet, was beginn...

Learjet 60: Learjet’s Long Range Luxury…

11Nov

By Charles YongzhengNo Comments

Executive

Learjet 60: Learjet’s Long Range Luxury…

For 21 years, between 1991 and 2012 the Learjet 60 was Learjet division of Bombardier's longest range business jet. However, in 2012, after twenty years of production, Learjet pulled the plug on the Learjet 60. Nevertheless, almost a decade later, most of the original four hundred Learjets are still flying. For most of them, they are in the hands of the people who originally bought them, although many are on the secondary market. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Development In 1981, Learjet released their latest business jet, the Learjet 55, itself being derived from the first ever business jet, the Learjet 23. This aircraft originally sold very well, but by the end of the 1990's, sales began to slow. Learjet attempted to create new variant...

Learjet 45: Learjet’s Most Famous Private Jet Yet

24Oct

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Executive

Learjet 45: Learjet’s Most Famous Private Jet Yet

When it was introduced, the Learjet 45 was among the most successful private jets of its time. To this day, the Learjet 45 is Learjet's second best selling private jet, behind the Learjet 35. Although the aircraft is over 20 years old (which is quite old for a business jet) there are still well over 500 Learjet 45s in service all around the world. In total, there have been 642 Model 45s sold. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Development Prior to the Learjet 45, Learjet had been in the business jet industry since the beginning, having produced the first business jet (in the form of the Learjet 23, in 1964). All of Learjet's previous aircraft had been derived from the Learjet 23. Usually these aircraft were a lengthened/shortened variant of it w...

Learjet 35: Learjet’s Most Successful Jet Yet

7Oct

By Christopher HarrowNo Comments

Executive

Learjet 35: Learjet’s Most Successful Jet Yet

In the 1970's, Gates Learjet was known for making some of the best aircraft of its time. In 1973, they released their most popular aircraft, the Learjet 35. Even today, no Learjet aircraft has sold as much as the Gates Learjet 35. Despite being almost 50 years old, there are still well over 500 Learjet 35s in service around the world. The vast majority of these are corporate/private jets, however, a few are also in military use too. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Development In 1967, the newly merged Gates Learjet had just released the Learjet 25, itself a lengthened variant of the Learjet 24 (itself a variant of the Learjet 23, the first private jet in history). Up until this point, the Learjet 24 had been the most successful Learjet aircr...