Newest Lear On Track For 2013 EIS

Production of the new Learjet 85 aircraft has officially begun as the program successfully exited the Aircraft Level Critical Design Review. Development and production teams in Wichita, Kansas; Montréal, Québec; Belfast, Northern Ireland; and Querétaro, Mexico, are actively engaged in the manufacturing validation phase.

Ralph Acs, Vice President and General Manager, Learjet, Bombardier Business Aircraft said the airplane is making solid progress. He said the manufacturing sites are ready, production has begun, and they have been successfully building parts and we are ensuring that all quality standards are met for the Learjet 85 aircraft’s entry into service in 2013.

The Querétaro site is operational with production tooling in place. To date, several test fuselages and key elements of the composite structure have been produced at the facility to validate the manufacturing and assembly processes. In addition, a full-length composite fuselage has been assembled, and production of the first flight test vehicle is underway.

The Learjet 85 aircraft program supply base has started the fabrication of parts, and is on track with approximately 40 per cent of dedicated supplier test rigs that are operational, running their respective systems prior to shipment to the final line.

As part of Bombardier’s technology readiness program, over 12,000 test pieces have been produced to date. The first FAA structural certification test project was successfully completed this summer.

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