Bombardier has launched a new six-seat variant of its Learjet 75 business jet.
Called the Learjet 75 Liberty, the aircraft was expected to enter service in 2020, Bombardier said in a statement on July 2 (Canadian time).
“The Learjet 75 Liberty represents a step up for customers in the light jet segment, with unprecedented spaciousness and Bombardier’s renowned smooth ride,” Bombardier Aviation president David Coleal said.
“The newest member of the Learjet family delivers a flight experience that eclipses the competition.”
Bombardier said the Learjet 75 Liberty was powered by two Honeywell TFE731-40BR engines and had a range of 2,080nm. That puts cities such as Auckland, Nadi, Port Moresby within range of Sydney, according to a chart on the Bombardier website.
The aircraft, which measures 17.7m from tip to tail and 15.5m from wingtip to wingtip, has a top speed of Mach 0.81, while the typical cruise speed is Mach 0.76.
Up in the flight deck, Bombardier has installed the Garmin G5000 avionics suite, synthetic vision system (SVS) and triple integrated FMS with graphical flight planning.
Meanwhile, Bombardier said the cabin featured an executive suite featuring two forward facing seats and four seats in a club configuration.
It will compete with aircraft such as the Cessna Citation CJ3+ and Embraer Phenom 300E in the light jet category.
The original eight-seat Learjet 75 was certified in 2013.
Bombardier said the Learjet 75 Liberty would be certified to the United States Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) more stringent Part 25 regulations, applicable to commercial airliners, compared with most competitors in the light jet category that were certified to Part 23 regulations.
Bombardier said the aircraft would be built at Learjet’s facility in Wichita, Kansas, in the US, where the Learjet 75 is currently manufactured.
“I’m extremely proud that the Learjet 75 Liberty will be built in Wichita, where the Learjet dream first took flight,” Bombardier Aviation vice president of operations and the Wichita site Tonya Sudduth said.
“Our Wichita facility today has a diverse mandate supporting Bombardier’s extensive fleet of business aircraft, but to introduce the newest member of this iconic brand is of special significance to our team.”
Bombardier’s aviation business is solely focused on business jets following the sale of the Q400 program to Longview Aviation Capital and the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) program to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
VIDEO: A look at the Learjet 75 Liberty from the Bombardier Aerospace YouTube channel.
