Learjet Longhorn 55

1979

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Learjet Longhorn 55

At the 1977 Paris air show Gates Learjet announced details of its new Learjet 50 series. This was intended to comprise the Learjet 54, Learjet 55 and Learjet 56 with longer and larger cabins. The first two were to seat up to 11 passengers and the last a maximum of eight; all were to have advanced wings incorporating NASA-developed winglets and this last feature gave rise to the name Longhorn. In fact, only the Longhorn 55 has been developed, construction of the first airframe starting in April 1978 after successful testing of anr Aerodynamic prototype of the wing on a Learjet 25. The first of two Learjet 55 prototypes was flown initially on 19 April,1979, and certification and delivery of the first production aircraft were recorded on 18 March 1981 and 30 April 1981 respectively.

The Model 55 followed the same overall configuration as earlier members of the Learjet family, and accommodated a crevv of two on a separate flight deck and up to 10 passengers in the main cabin. In September 1986 the company announced the Model 55B, offering a new interior, 'glass' cockpit, improved take-off performance and increased range, all of which increased the aircraft's operational flexibility. One year later, the Model 55C was revealed, fitted with rear underfuselage 'Delta Fins' giving improved directional stability at all speeds and reducing the landing speed, and thus removed the need for a stick puller/pusher. Later versions are the 55C/ER extended-range version fitted with an extra tank holding 1175kg of fuel in the tailcone, and the Model 55C/LR giving even-longer-range through the installation of a further 322-litre fuel cell behind the standard fuselage tank. Typical configuration of this version is two crew and seven passengers. Around 150 Model 55 variants had been built by the end of 1990 and the version is to be superseded by the Learjet 60 during 1992.

Specification 
 MODELLearjet 55C
 ENGINE2 x Garrett TFE731-3A-2B turbofans, 1678kg
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight9525 kg20999 lb
  Empty weight5832 kg12857 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan13.35 m44 ft 10 in
  Length16.80 m55 ft 1 in
  Height4.48 m15 ft 8 in
  Wing area24.57 m2264.47 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed884 km/h549 mph
  Cruise speed744 km/h462 mph
  Ceiling15545 m51000 ft

Comments
TEMBA, e-mail, 19.01.2011 09:19

Can this aircraft fly from Harare to New York via Dakar?

reply

Tim, e-mail, 02.02.2010 00:27

I built these aircraft in Tucson, Az from 1979 to 1984. Mainly the wing shop and control surfaces. I was also part of the team working on aircraft 001, 002, 003. How many are still flying?

Tim

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