The final Learjet has been delivered.
Since 1990, Learjet has been a subsidiary of Bombardier Jets. In February 2021, Bombardier (BBD-B.TO) announced it was discontinuing the production of Learjets, however, it would continue to provide support and maintenance for the popular aircraft that are still in use.
Éric Martel, president and CEO of Bombardier, said the company has discontinued the Learjet 85 program and is focusing instead on the production of Global and Challenger jets.
The Learjet, with its distinctive sloped nose, has been flying since the 1960s. It was one of the first personal jet designs to be developed and flown.
According to JetNet.com, approximately 3,043 Learjets have been built and of those approximately 2,145 are still in use.
The final Learjet was delivered to Northern Jet Management in Grand Rapids, Michigan, late last week. Northern Jet Management has other Learjet models to their fleet including the first and last Learjet 70, the 100th Learjet 40 and the 600th Learjet 45.
On its company Facebook page, Northern Jet Management posted a picture of employees surrounding the aircraft with the message “Monday the 28th of [March] 2022 saw the end for one of the most popular business jet families ever. After almost 60 years of production, @bombardier_jets have delivered their final Learjet. @northernjetmanagement had the honor of taking delivery of the Learjet 75, which is the 24 in their fleet.”
History of the Learjet
The Learjet was designed by William (Bill) Lear, an inventor and aviation businessman. Lear started designing a private jet in the 1950s. Jet aircraft were new technology, and there were many designs that never made it off the drawing board. That changed when Lear opted to adapt a Swiss ground-attack fighter, the FFA P-16, that had never been built. Lear formed the Swiss American Aircraft Corporation in Switzerland, hired engineers, and the work began.
By 1962, the project was relocated to Wichita, Kansas, because Lear felt the project was taking too long in Switzerland, and in Wichita, there was already a workforce with the necessary skill set to build aircraft.
The first Learjet, built by what became known as the Lear Jet Corp., rolled off the assembly line in October 1963. Known as Learjet 23 (for model 23), the aircraft could seat as many as eight people. The production models began to appear in 1964.
Full note
The Learjet Era Ends With a Final Delivery – FLYING Magazine
