Bombardier celebrated the 3,000th Learjet delivery and delivery of the 100th Learjet 75 on June 2.
Photo courtesy of AIN Online
Bombardier’s ceremonial handover of a Learjet 75 to Leggett & Platt on Friday commemorated two major milestones: the 3,000th Learjet manufactured and the 100th Learjet 75 delivery. The milestone comes more than 50 years after Bill Lear helped pioneer the business aviation industry with the introduction of the Lear Jet 23, which it claims as the first purpose-built business jet to enter production. The nascent Lear Jet company, which had established a home in Wichita, handed over the first Model 23 to Chemical and Industrial Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1964, about a year after first flight, according to the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Originally known as Lear Jet (two words), the company built a little more than 100 of the $540,000 model 23s before moving to the 24 in 1966, followed by a succession of later models.
Bombardier bought the storied manufacturer in 1990 and in 1997 introduced the Learjet 75 predecessor, the Learjet 45. The 75, with its Mach 0.81 speed and 2,000-nm range, offered a number of enhancements over its predecessor, including new canted winglets and other aerodynamic improvements; and the Garmin G5000 touchscreen-controlled avionics suite, the first implementation of this system in a Part 25 jet. The first of the 75s was delivered in late 2013.
“Today is an exciting day in Bombardier Learjet history,” added David Coleal, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft.
This article was originally posted on AINOonline.com.
