Learjet 60XR Brings New Capabilities To The Largest
Learjet
By ANN Correspondent Dave Higdon
If nothing's broke, the saying goes, don't fix it. But if a
better way comes along, well, that's a different colloquialism.
Fifteen years after the introduction of Learjet's flagship, the 60,
Bombardier updated its mid-size jet into a model that raises the
bar yet again on performance while lowering further the costs of
operations.
The company calls this evolutionary product the Learjet 60XR and
it's yet another example of how the company works to continually
improve its products.
The 60XR, unveiled on the opening of the 58th National Business
Aviation Association Convention, builds on all the strengths of the
original, which entered service in 1990. Among those original
strengths is the ability to fly transcontinental trips at altitudes
as high as FL510. At its cruise speed of Mach 0.81, the 60XR
delivers more than 20 knots of speed above that of its closest
competitor and direct operating costs more than 7 percent lower
than its nearest competition. Part of the reason for its excellent
DOCs is a fuel-efficiency level approximately 18 percent better
than its competition.
According to the company, Bombardier upgraded the interior
design, cabin accoutrements and the flight deck. Up in the front
office, the 60XR sports a four-screen installation of Rockwell
Collins Pro Line 21 integrated avionics suite. With each screen
measuring 8 X 10 inches, the displays provide 75 percent more
viewing area than the 60's flight deck. The installation also
includes dual FMS-5000 flight-management systems, solid-state
weather radar, the company's Integrated Flight Information System,
electronic charts and optional graphical weather and enhanced map
overlays. With the optional second EFIS backbone installed, the
60XR becomes a true paperless-cockpit business jet.
Back in the main cabin Bombardier designed an all-new interior
for up to nine that provides stand-up headroom, as well as
redesigned seats, new light-emitting diode cabin lighting and a
reclaimed window in the aft lavatory. The Learjet 60XR employs a
modular floorplan to give the operator a broader array of
configuration choices. Bombardier also gave the 60XR a
next-generation cabin electronic system that includes ergonomically
placed touch screen for control, the latest in audio and video gear
and XM Satellite Radio.
"With the introduction of the Learjet 60XR aircraft, customers
now have the best of both worlds - advanced avionics and
ultramodern cabin features coupled with superior reliability and
proven performance," said Pierre Beaudoin, president and CEO of
Bombardier Aerospace. "In the past 15 years, Bombardier has
introduced eight new members to the Learjet family and the Learjet
60XR is another great example of how we are continually working to
deliver best-in-class value and performance to our customers."
Priced at $12.9 million with typical equipment, the 60XR enters
flight tests in the first quarter of 2006, with certification and
first customer deliver expected about a year later.
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