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Special Feature: Learjet 85 Mock-Up at NBAA

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  1. Flexjet and Bombardier Learjet 85 Mock-Up at NBAA
    First-Ever ALL Carbon Composite Business Jet Aircraft

    Bombardier’s exclusive fractional launch customer, Flexjet, showcases the new Learjet 85 with a
    mock-up display at the NBAA. Flexjet, the first fractional jet ownership company to offer shares in the all-new
    Learjet 85 was in Orlando as part of an eleven city tour displaying an aircraft poised to revolutionize the industry.​

    On Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, Bombardier and Flexjet hosted a special event during the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) 65th Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando to spotlight a cabin and fuse mock-up of the upcoming Learjet 85, the first FAR Part 25 certified business jet built primarily from composite materials. The mock-up allows buyers and pilots alike to see first-hand the latest advances in Bombardier's appointments, ergonomics and flight control systems.
  2. “Anticipation for the Learjet 85 jet has been building since the program launch back in 2007,” said Bruce Peddle, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Flexjet. “With delivery scheduled for 2013 – the same year Learjet celebrates its 50th anniversary – we’ve brought the Learjet 85 aircraft model to NBAA to showcase its class-leading innovations, including the latest in cabin technologies and the Bombardier Vision Flight Deck. Despite current economic challenges, we are pleased at the response we’ve seen in the market and are now selling shares in our fourth Learjet 85 aircraft.”
  3. An industry first, the Learjet 85 is manufactured primarily from composite materials that not only provide a performance advantage, but also increase overall volume and accommodations within the fuselage. The use of composite materials permit thinner walls that maximize interior space, but more importantly, the fuselage can be designed with complex curves, such as a taller centerline cross-section for headroom or a flatter belly that provides additional lift.
  4. The ultra-smooth, rivet-free finish of composite construction improves performance by minimizing drag. It also permits blended compound curves or corners that enhance laminar flow. In addition to reduced weight, composite materials generally require less maintenance and are easier to repair.
  5. Another benefit of composites is better cabin acoustics. In short, composites are naturally better sound insulators which can yield a quieter ride. However, if the cabin doesn't have a door, your decibels may vary! The entry to the mock-up had no apparent door, which obviously isn't needed for a show display, but visitors may need an instrument rating if it rains.
  6. Showing a little aviation humor with a stroke of an airbrush, visitors are reminded of the Learjet 85's carbon fiber construction. No need to worry, delaminations on aircraft only occur once. ;)
  7. Among other innovations, the Learjet 85 will feature "Bombardier Vision", a flight deck featuring the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite – one of the most advanced suites ever offered onboard a midsize aircraft. This three-screen avionics system includes advanced capabilities, such as synthetic vision.
  8. And of course, no cockpit of the future would be complete without making provisions for Apple products. The new Learjet 85 comes with dedicated iPad holders positioned at a pilot and co-pilot's fingertips. Still, some things never change, such as sheep skin seat covers.
  9. Access to the cockpit is no worse than usual, however an overhead handle makes ingress or egress much easier, reducing full throttle exits.
  10. Design Q, a UK-based design agency who has performed styling work for automobile manufacturers such as Maserati, Aston Martin and Ferrari, as well as Princess Yachts and other aviation related companies was enlisted to give the new Learjet 85's interior the high-end finish they are best known for in the luxury transport sector. A brushed stainless galley greets passengers and while a contemporary wine glass rack adds a certain bouquet, long stemmed glasses have no business on a business jet.
  11. Design Q was challenged with creating a more spacious-feeling interior by taking a minimalistic approach. The use of all-white colors within the cabin enhance the feeling of volume, but subtle design elements contribute to the effect, such as overhead lighting and oxygen masks contained within streamlined pods, as opposed to running an overhead liner along the entire length of the fuselage.
  12. In another space-saving example, cut-outs in the sidewalls that are used for stowage also allow the seats to be secured closer to the fuselage. This gives more walkway space AND more legroom, making passenger seating less cramped.
  13. The stowage liners adjacent to the seats are large enough to hold a briefcase and the ledge space created by the design of the structures houses fold-away tables. The pedestal-based storage drawers, accessible form the aisle, are significantly easier for passengers to access then overhead compartments. They are purportedly large enough to handle a laptop computer, but a 17' screen might miss the mark.
  14. Because upright positions on long legs leave you horizontal after arriving, a sleeper sofa is located aft. Several configurations will be available including eight single executive seats or six single seats with a three-place sofa, shown here. The executive seats fully recline, but only four can be reclined at once.
  15. Peering into the transparent mock-up window to the luggage compartment in the tail, the storage is cavernous. Bombardier claims the Learjet 85 will have 19 percent more cabin space than its closest competition. In fact, the dimensions provided support this. The cabin is 24'9" long and 6'1" wide by 6' tall. This gives 665 cubic feet of passenger space and 130 cubic feet of luggage space. Not shown are 3 cabin closets for additional storage space.
  16. Power is provided by a pair of Pratt & Whitney's new PW307B engines. Long range speed is estimated to be within 3% of 515 mph, while get-me-home speed is projected to be 527 mph, plus or minus the same percent. Range is 3,034 statute miles, giving the Learjet 85 true transcontinental range. When you reach the other side of the pond, you'll need 5,000 feet to land.
  17. The new Learjet 85 composite structures are being built at Bombardier's plant in Queretaro, Mexico. The finished sub-components will be assembled in Wichita, KS. Bombardier has dedicated around 1,250 employees to the Learjet 85 program. Headquartered in Montréal, Canada, Bombardier posted revenues of $18.3 billion US in 2011, making them a global leader in transportation.
  18. Richardson, TX-based Flexjet—a division of Bombardier, the world’s largest business aviation manufacturer. Flexjet’s fractional aircraft program is the first in the world to be recognized as achieving the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s Industry Audit Standard, and Flexjet is the first and only company to be honored with its 13th FAA Diamond Award for Excellence.

    Flexjet’s fractional program fields an exclusive family of Bombardier business aircraft—the youngest in the fractional jet industry with an average age of approximately five years—including the Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60 XR, Challenger 300 and Challenger 605 business jets.

    For more information visit:

    www.bombardier.com
    www.flexjet.com

    ***​
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