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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 2406.PDF
CORPORATE AVIATION Bombardier's new Learjet 45 business jet proves pleasant and easy to fly PETER HENLEY/WICHITA IN THE LATE 1950s, William Lear designed a small twinjet aircraft for business use with performance comparable to that of the jet-powered airliners of the day. Lear • established a modest production plant at Wichita, a Kansas town already steeped in avia tion, being home to Beech and Cessna. The Learjet prototype had its maiden flight in October 1963 and was immediately successful. Learjetwas acquired by Bombardier in 1989, bringing about the combination of Learjet's range of business jets with Bombardier's larger Canadair Challenger and, latterly, Global Express. The latest addition to this family is the Learjet 45 light business jet, an eight-seater with a nominal 3,700km (2,000nm) range. Although it has a strong family resemblance to its brethren - sharing the T-tail, winglets, "delta fins" and trademark Learjet windscreens of the Models 31A and 60 - the Learjet 45 is a totally new aeroplane. The goal was to design an aircraft which combined good low-speed han dling and high-speed performance, and which could be produced at a cost which would allow it to be sold at an attractive price in a competitive market. Bombardier is offering the Learjet 45 at a basic price of $7.9 million. Despite all the careful thought and consider able investment, the Learjet 45's birth has not been entirely painless. The original goal of certification in December 1996 was not achieved. Provisional US Federal Aviation Administration certification was granted in late August and full approval is hoped for by October, followed in November by European Joint Aviation Authorities certification. Production of the Learjet 45 has gone ahead, meanwhile, with more than 20 aircraft having been completed, enabling deliveries to start as soon as possible after certification is granted. So far, Bombardier has orders for 13 5 Learjet 45s. CERTIFICATION DRIVE Although the Learjet 45 team was busy with its drive for certification, Flight International was invited to fly the aircraft in early September. The third prototype was plucked from its daily chores in the avionics development pro gramme, unpainted, untrimmed and fairly crammed with test paraphernalia. Despite being untypical of the production aircraft in several instances, this did not limit an assess ment of its handling characteristics. A walk-round inspection revealed the excel lent panel fit and skin smoothness. Attention has clearly been paid to making the Learjet 45 easy to service; the single-point refuelling panel, for example, has a digital fuel-contents gauge, powered from the aircraft battery and lighted for ease of refuelling on a dark ramp. The Learjet 45's wing is relatively clean and simple, with ailerons, a spoiler panel on each side and Fowler flaps. The leading edge has no moveable devices, but a fairly marked droop and a small stall-trigger near each root. There are several airflow-control devices, including vor- tillons and a couple of "sawtooth" steps. The two-piece cabin door is immediately behind the cockpit; the lower part opens down wards and incorporates three steps, while the upper opens upwards and doubles as an emer gency escape-hatch. The twin-wheel main undercarriage has trailing-link suspension and carbon brakes. The single nosewheel tyre has a pronounced chine for water deflection. Standing runway-water tests have still to be completed. The Learjet 45 is not a large aircraft, and die fuselage cross-section is slightly oval to increase headroom in die cabin, which is 1.5m high. The fuselage is 1.55m wide, so die cockpit is snug, 58 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 17 - 23 September 1997
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