Learjet 45XR

There’s no mistaking the 45XR’s Lear family heritage, with its long nose, low set undercarriage, high set engines, large two-piece windscreen, swept T-tail, and twin ventral fins all dead giveaways.

The eight-seat 45XR was launched in July 2002, first flew in July 2003, and entered service in 2004, superseding the Lear 45 in production.

The Lear 45 has been a popular choice in its class since deliveries began in 1998, but the XR upgrade builds on that base with meaningful improvements to field and climb performance, and better payload-range thanks to a 450kg increase in gross weight, more powerful 3500lb (15. 6kN) thrust Honeywell TFE731-20-BR engines, and aerodynamic refinements to the wing.

The 45XR’s 9752kg MTOW, with eight passengers and a 2608kg fuel load, gives a range of 1985nm (3676km) with IFR reserves at a cruise speed of Mach 0. 81 and altitude of 43,000ft. From Sydney, this puts ports such as Darwin, Port Moresby and Suva well within range, and allows one-stop flights to Singapore. Alternatively from Perth, the 45XR can reach Bali, Jakarta and the Cocos Islands, while all the cities on the eastern seaboard including Cairns fall well within range.

The increase in power and MTOW gives the 45XR up to 970nm (1800km) greater range than the Lear 45 when operating out of hot and high airports. Bombardier claims the shortest landing distances in its class thanks to an individual hydraulically powered anti-skid braking system, and increased passenger comfort thanks to a pressurisation system which provides sea level cabin pressure up to 25,700ft.

Like all Lears the 45XR is a high flyer, certified for up to 51,000ft, while high speed cruise is a spritely 465kt.

Inside the 45XR features a cabin length of 6. 02m, height of 1. 5m, and a width at the hips of 1. 56m, with LED lighting. The standard interior features a double-club seating arrangement for eight, offering 15cm more legroom for each passenger over the Lear 45. The lavatory at the rear of the cabin can double as an optional ninth seat.

The galley has also been redesigned to provide a more efficient use of storage space, access to systems mounted behind the rear cabin bulkhead has been improved, and all interior components have been designed to be removed within 20 minutes or less. For those wanting extra amenities, Bombardier offers a range of customised interior configuration options from its Wichita, Kansas, completion centre.

The cockpit has been upgraded but remains based around a Honeywell Primus 1000 integrated avionics suite.

It features four large 20x18cm EFIS screens, colour weather radar, EICAS (Engine Instrument and Crew Alerting System), dual Honeywell Primus II integrated comm/ nav radios, and a maintenance diagnostic download capability.

Options include a second Universal Avionics UNS- 1E FMS, single or dual Honeywell KHF-950 HF radios, dual VHF radios, a Honeywell Airborne Flight Instrument System (AFIS), a Primus 880 Doppler radar, and dual AoA indicators.

Sales prospects in the region are reported as “strong”, with several potential customers expressing interest in replacing their older Learjets with the 45XR, or upgrading from smaller Citations, Beechjet 400s, or even King Air turboprops.