Bombardier Lear 75 Re-imagined
Bombardier Learjet 75 Liberty. Bombardier photo.
Bombardier has announced a revamp of its Learjet 75 business aircraft, called the Learjet 75 Liberty, just in time for July 4th. The new variant of the long-running light jet program will become available in 2020.
The Learjet 75, itself a modernized version of the highly popular Learjet 45, first rolled out of the Wichita, Kansas factory in 2013.
Newly Competitive On Price
Despite a series of enhancements the Lear 75 has struggled for new sales in recent years compared to its main light jet rivals the Cessna Citation CJ3+ and the fast-selling Embraer Phenom 300, with the latter being an entirely new design. Slightly larger in size, the Learjet 75 has been a more costly proposition for aircraft owners at over US $ 13 million compared to the sub US $10 million CJ3+ and Phenom 300. Bombardier aims to level the playing field with the new Learjet 75 Liberty which will seat 6 and have a price tag of US $9.9 million, making it a more formidable competitor.
The “Executive Suite” forward cabin of the Bombardier Learjet 75 Liberty. Bombardier photo.
The Most Comfort of Any Light Jet
Price competitiveness is only one part of the Learjet 75 Liberty value proposition. By making use of the larger cabin Bombardier claims to have developed the most comfortable light jet experience in the sky. The Learjet 75 Liberty will have a separate forward “Executive Suite” with 2 forward facing captain’s chairs and footrests. The aft 4 passenger club section will have a segment-leading 24 inches separating the facing pairs of seats.
Impressive Speed and Range
Bombardier is also marketing better performance at the same operating costs as its nearest competitors so owners shouldn’t have to pay more to operate the aircraft. The Learjet 75 Liberty will see maximum payload (a measure of how much it can carry) increase by almost 38%, to 2,910 pounds, and the aircraft’s range will increase to 2,393 miles. This compares favorably to 2,348 miles for Citation CJ3+ and 2,267 miles for the Phenom 300E. Trips such as New York to Las Vegas, Seattle to DC, and Mexico City to San Francisco are within reach, nonstop, for the Learjet 75 Liberty. The Learjet family have always been known for their speed, and the max cruising speed for the Lear 75 Liberty is Mach 0.81.
The 8 passenger layout of the existing Learjet 75 will still be available as an option, however the aircraft’s range will be reduced roughly to that of the CJ3+.
Get a sneak preview of the Bombardier Learjet 75 Liberty (Bombardier video)