Aircraft
After the crash: Avcon to resume Learjet fin program
Avcon Industries, manufacturer of aft fuselage delta fins and other mods to improve directional stability and increase payload/range capability for the Lea

Avcon Industries, manufacturer of aft fuselage delta fins and other mods to improve directional stability and increase payload/range capability for the Learjet 35/36, will resume work to obtain STCs for similar mods on the Learjet 25. The Newton, Kan. company’s Learjet 25 development program was abruptly shattered on June 12 when, during a key flight test, the aircraft was destroyed in a crash landing, seriously injuring the two pilots.

Larry Franke, Avcon president and one of the two pilots on the accident flight, said, “We’ve lost at least six months momentum.” The company has recently bought another Learjet 25D (S/N 330) and is preparing to duplicate all the prior pre-fin baseline numbers, but “we aren’t going to start test flying until after the NBAA Convention in New Orleans this month.” (Avcon intends to exhibit at the event.)

Loading…