Learjet 55

1979 executive business jet aircraft

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The Learjet 55 "Longhorn" is an American business jet manufactured by Learjet.

Development and design

The Learjet 50 series was first announced at the 1977 Paris Air Show with larger cabins than existing Learjets. The series was to have three variants, the Learjet 54, 55 and 56 but only the Learjet 55 was built. The Learjet 55 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with NASA-developed winglets. The aircraft has a T-tail and is powered by two Garrett TFE731 turbofans mounted each side of the rear fuselage. It has a retractable tricycle landing gear and an enclosed cabin for up to ten passengers and a cockpit for the two crew. Construction of the Learjet 55 began in April 1978 after extensive testing and work on the wing design which came, initially, from the Learjet 25. The Learjet 55 first flew on 19 April 1979. The first production aircraft were produced starting 18 March 1981. In total, 147 Learjet 55 aircraft were delivered.

Variants

Learjet 54: Proposed 11-seat variant; not built.
Learjet 55: Production variant; 126 built.
Learjet 55B: 1986 - Improved version with a glass cockpit, improved take-off performance and increased range, 8 built.
Learjet 55C: 1987 - New rear underfuselage design, with Delta Fins to improve lateral Dutch roll stability, and reduce takeoff and landing speeds.
Learjet 55C/ER: Extended-range version of the Learjet 55C.
Learjet 55C/LR: Long-range version of the Learjet 55C, fitted with an extra tank, carrying an extra 259 lb (117 kg) of fuel in the tail cone.
Learjet 56: Proposed eight-seat version, not built.
VU-55: Brazilian Air Force designation for a VIP transport variant of the Learjet 55.

Operators

Dominican Republic

Servicios Aéreos Profesionales

Accidents and incidents

On 31 January 2025, Jet Rescue, a Mexican-registered Learjet 55 operating as a air ambulance by a Miami/Mexico based Jet Rescue Air Ambulance with six people on board crashed near Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia, at the intersection of Bustleton and Cottman Avenues, 40 seconds after takeoff from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 6:06 p.m. EST. The pediatric patient and her mother were en route to Tijuana International Airport in Mexico via Springfield-Branson National Airport, northwest of Springfield in Greene County, Missouri, after a medical procedure in Philadelphia Shriners Hospital. All 6 occupants onboard the aircraft and 2 people on the ground were killed in the crash.

Specifications

Data from Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Capacity: 10
Length: 55 ft 1 in (16.80 m)
Wingspan: 43 ft 10 in (13.35 m)
Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.48 m)
Wing area: 264.5 sq ft (24.57 m²)
Empty weight: 13,000 lb (5,897 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 21,500 lb (9,752 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Garrett TFE731-3A-2B turbofan aero-engine, 3,700 lbf (16 kN) thrust each

Performance

Maximum speed: 541 mph (871 km/h, 470 kn) at 30,000 ft (9,145 m)
Cruise speed: 462 mph (744 km/h, 402 kn) at 49,000 ft (14,935 m)
Range: 2,492 mi (4,010 km, 2,165 nmi) with four passengers and fuel reserves
Service ceiling: 51,000 ft (15,544 m)