Learjet Model 55 Longhorn Prototype
MODEL BY:
Lear Aircraft
Model Scale:
1/36
MODEL ADDED:
N/A
historical significance
First Albuquerque Visit: 1981
Additional Information:
Learjet is a Canadian aerospace manufacturer of business jets for the civilian and military markets that is based in Wichita, Kansas. The company was founded in the late 1950s by William Powell Lear as the Swiss American Aviation Corporation. Learjet was one of the first companies to manufacture a private luxury aircraft. Learjet, a subsidiary of Canadian Bombardier Aerospace since 1990, currently markets their jets as the “Bombardier Learjet Family”.
The Learjet 50 series was first announced in 1977 and showcased a larger cabin than the existing Learjet. The new series was to have three models, the Learjet 54, 55 and 56 but only the Learjet 55 was ever built. The Learjet 55 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with NASA developed winglets, which led to the aircraft being called the Longhorn. The T-tailed aircraft is powered by two Garrett TFE731 turbofans mounted each side of the rear fuselage. It features a retractable tricycle landing gear and an enclosed cabin for up to ten passengers with a separate cockpit for the two crew members. Construction of the Learjet 55 began in April 1978 and the first Learjet 55 flew on 19 April 1979. The first aircraft to be sold were produced in early 1981.
The Learjet 55, N-551-GL, was the prototype for the series and the aircraft successfully completed the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) high altitude airport evaluation tests at Albuquerque in August of 1981.
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