Mielec 2023-06-30
Bombardier Learjet 75 Liberty. Air Rescue Service.
Bombardier Learjet 75 Liberty.
The 1960s were a period of development of a new class of aircraft, the so-called business jets. These are business jets powered by turbojet and then turbofan engines. Airplanes have become very popular among celebrities, artists, singers, industrialists and millionaires. At that time, it seemed that the fleet of these aircraft would develop and expand very dynamically. But this did not happen and for the next decades business jets are a niche class. It is true that these planes are the subject of dreams of millions of people, but that is where the dream ends.
Learjet is a Canadian manufacturer of business aircraft for civil and military use, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, United States. The company was founded in the late 1950s by William Powell Lear as the Swiss American Aviation Corporation. In 1963, the first flight was made by the aircraft marked Learjet 23. The company won several orders. The planes turned out to be fast, small, with a long range and, above all, iconic. The most popular of the family was the Learjet 35 / 45 aircraft. Since 1962, the company has produced about 3,000 aircraft of various types.
In 1990, Learjet was bought by Bombardier.
In 2015, Bombardier developed another aircraft, which was marked Learjet 80 / 85, but due to the lack of interest, serial production was not undertaken. According to Bombardier research, wealthy customers were looking for planes with a larger passenger cabin. New customers, on the other hand, were looking for cheaper offers. In 2020, just 11 Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft were delivered, compared to 112 Learjet aircraft delivered in 2001. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft was in the same market segment as the popular Embraer Phenom 300(E) or Cessna Citation CJ3+ aircraft. It is worth noting that rival planes are cheaper to buy and charter. The price for a one-hour flight on a chartered Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is USD 3,400. In 2021, the price of a new plane was USD 9.9 million. In February 2021, Bombardier announced the end of production of Learjet 70 / 75 aircraft, in favor of larger aircraft. The maintenance base for Learjet aircraft is to be maintained until 2035.
In Poland, the first Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft was bought in 2015 by a private company. The aircraft received registration SP-AAW, Serial No. 45-490. In 2020, the plane was sold to the next owner. The aircraft had 807 hours of flight time. Honeywell TFE731-40BR-1B engines.
Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft for the Polish Medical Air Rescue.
Two Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft for the Polish Medical Air Rescue were ordered in 2019. The contract with the supplier was signed at the end of 2019 and officially announced in January 2020. Then Bombardier announced the sale of two Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft to Fargo Jet Center (FJC) based in North Dakota, which was tasked with converting the aircraft to medical configuration (medevac) and delivering them to the Polish Medical Air Rescue (LPR) based in Warsaw.
On December 16, 2021, the first Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft landed at Okęcie airport in Warsaw. The machine flew to Poland from Fargo in the USA to Warsaw with stopovers in Goose Bay, Reykjavik and Wick in Scotland. On December 20, 2021, the second plane landed in Warsaw. The aircraft received registrations SP-MXR (No. 45-595), SP-MXS (No. 45-596) and were deployed in April 2022.
The planes are designed to transport two seriously ill patients. It is possible to transport a child in an incubator. It is possible to mount three pairs of stretchers for medical evacuation of slightly injured patients.
Currently (2022), the LPR fleet consists of 36 aircraft: 27 Airbus EC135 P2+/P3 helicopters, two Robinson R44 Raven II, two Piaggio P.180 Avanti, two Learjet 75 Liberty and three Tecnam P2008JC MkII. In the spring of 2023, each of the LPR Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft performed approximately 48 – 56 flights per month.
Learjet 75 Liberty design.
The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft was developed in 2013 and is powered by two rear-mounted Honeywell TFE731-40BR engines. They each get 3,850 pounds of thrust. This allows the aircraft to take off at just 4,440 feet. The minimum landing distance is 2,296 feet. The Learjet 75 Liberty is capable of flying at 51,000 feet at 465 knots. The aircraft can cover up to 2,070 nautical miles (2,393 miles / 3,854 km).
The cockpit of the plane is classic and there is room for two pilots. The Bombardier company in the cockpit has installed the Bombardier Vision Flight Cabin. Here are the latest navigation and communication technologies. Synthetic Vision, improved ergonomics and advanced controls. Integrated Garmin G5000 avionics suite, synthetic vision system (SVS) and triple integrated FMS with graphical flight planning.
Passenger cabin, height 4.11 ft (1.5 m), width 5.10 ft (1.56 m), length 19.10 ft. Passenger cabin is designed to carry 8 – 9 people depending on the seat configuration. The seats are individual, spacious and positioned forward or backward to the direction of flight. Passengers have at their disposal large tables and electric USB connections, power sockets and reading lamps. At the customer’s request, a satellite internet system is installed. The entrance to the plane is provided by a pocket-type door with steps installed in the lower part.
2 × Honeywell TFE731-40BR Turbine engines, 3,850 lbf (17.1 kN) each.
Data T-T Learjet 75 Liberty:
Length 58 ft 0 in (17.7 m). Wingspan 50 ft 11 in (15.5 m). Height 14.13 ft (4.31 m). Wing area 311.6 sq ft (28.95 m2). Curb weight 13,890 lb (6,300 kg). Maximum weight 21,500 lb (9,752 kg). Cruising speed 465 kn (535 mph, 861 km/h). Range 2,040 nmi (2,350 mi, 3,780 km). Flight ceiling up to 51,000 ft (15,545 m). Takeoff run length 4,440 ft (1,353 m). Length of landing roll 2,660 ft (811 m).
Written by Karol Placha Hetman