Aircraft
'Easy' flight-test program yields Learjet 40 approval
The Learjet 40 received its FAA type certificate on July 11 as an amendment to the certification of the Learjet 45 from which it is derived.

The Learjet 40 received its FAA type certificate on July 11 as an amendment to the certification of the Learjet 45 from which it is derived. The Learjet 40 is a truncated (by 24.5 inches) version of the Learjet 45, sharing most of the same systems. Delivery of the first customer aircraft is expected early next year. The approval gives Bombardier a new entrée in the light jet market, with a seamless upgrade path to the rest of the Canadian manufacturer’s product line.

Thanks to all the commonality with the Learjet 45, the Model 40’s certification
program lasted roughly a year from program announcement, with a pair of test aircraft flying approximately 90 hours and 110 hours, respectively. “The flight-test program was as easy and clean as any I have ever been part of,” said David Schenck, Bombardier v-p of developmental aircraft programs.