Bombardier powers-up the first Learjet 75 in Wichita

The
first Bombardier Learjet
75 production aircraft achieved a milestone when the aircraft was
powered up for the first time at the end of August, as the aircraft
progresses towards its 2013
entry-into-service.

“This is a fantastic
achievement that highlights the tremendous efforts of every single person
involved with this project,” said Ralph Acs, vice president and general manager,
Learjet, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “This milestone represents a significant
step forward for our Learjet aircraft
family, as we were able to seamlessly integrate the Learjet 75 jet into our production flow. More importantly, this
aircraft, our very first complete Learjet
75 aircraft, will play a pivotal role in the certification program.”

“We have seen major changes
to the aircraft’s wiring harness to accommodate the Garmin avionics, the heart
of this totally new Bombardier Vision
flight deck arrangement,” added Acs. “Not only did this require tremendous
dedication from our Wichita team, but such a
feat would not have been possible without our Belfast
and Toronto
sites.”

The Learjet 70 and Learjet
75 test aircraft are continuing their development work as the
program moves forward. There will be a total of five flight test aircraft: a
modified Learjet 40 XR jet and
a modified Learjet 45 XR
aircraft are flying and focusing on avionics certification; a modified Learjet 45 XR jet will be used
primarily for the interior and cabin management system; an existing Learjet 45 XR aircraft will be
modified and utilised for testing and validating the performance improvements;
and finally, the first production Learjet
75 aircraft.