Development and design

The Learjet 50 series was first announced at the 1977 Paris air show

Paris Air Show

The Paris Air Show is the world's oldest and largest air show. Established in 1909, it is currently held every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France...

 with larger cabins than the current 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

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

 developed winglets, the winglets gave rise to the nickname Longhorn. 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. 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, delta fins to increase stability and reduced the landing speed.

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 (117.5 kg) of fuel in the tail cone.

Learjet 56

Proposed eight-seat version, not built.

Specifications (Learjet 55)