Lear 20 series with winglets at HOU

[FlaZoomie]

On the Hawker Beechcraft (Raython) ramp the other day Houston Hobby (HOU) was a 20 series Lear jet with winglets. It appear to have CJ-610 jets and not fans (which would make it a Lear 31). It had I think a Mexican regirstration (XC-____).

Anyone else seen it and catch the full call sign and/or have details on this unusal bird?

 

[Quimby]

Lear 28 or 29. Rocketship with no range. I think it still holds a time to climb record for it's weight class.

 

[Rokit88]

You mean like this?
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0229809/L/

Thats a Lear 28. Not many of them made. NO RANGE whatsoever.

 

[FlaZoomie]

I figured it was one of the 28's.

If the fus tank is the same as the 25's and no tip tank fuel, it must be like a 1.5 hour max range airplane?

Anyone flown a 28?

 

[SabreFlyR]

It had been in the HB maintenance hangar for while getting some fuel leaks and maybe some other issues repaired. I never did look at it up close to see if it was a 28 or 29 though. I did know someone in Mobile, Al that flew a 28 years ago and IIRC it was something like 2 hours and be looking for concrete.

 

[Lead Sled]

Lear 28 or 29. Rocketship with no range. I think it still holds a time to climb record for it's weight class.

I think you're right. I remember reading something about how the record was set - in order to get the weight low enough to be able to set the record, Neil Armstrong (I believe) flew one with just enough fuel to climb to altitude and dead-sticked it back to the airport.

LS

 

[con-pilot]

Yeah, I flew a Lear 28. One had better have a runway underneath them after 1+45. And that is if you had an unrestricted climb to 45.0 or above.

Only good thing was back when I flew it there was nobody above 45.0 so you could always get 51.0. Basically you climbed like a bat out of hell to 51.0, cruised for about an hour and fifteen/twenty minutes, closed the throttles and looked for an airport.

One night coming back to OKC from DCA I had to stop twice for fuel, first at EVV then at SGF. Hell, even the old 1121 Jet Commander only had to stop once, then only occasionally.

However, as I am 6 ft 5 in tall, it was good to stop about every 2 hours or so. Plus, if you left on the deck until you got to the end of the runway and pulled, well, what a show. The IVSI would peg to about 10,000ft.

I know, cheap thrills.

 

[Mahi]

Just Googled it and found this @

http://records.fai.org/general_aviation/
I spent a while browsing, pretty interesting stuff.
FYI- the 20 series Lears fall under the 3000-6000 kg t/o weight (C-1e)

Time to climb to a height of 15 000 m : 11 min 52s
Date of flight: 28/06/1988
Pilot: Edward H. WACHS (USA)
Crew: William BENTON
Course/place: Bangor, ME (USA)
Aircraft:
Learjet 28 (2 GE CJ610-8, 2 950 lb each)
Registered 'N500LG'
Database ID 2642

 

[Mahi]

Here's a link with all the records made by the 28. It appears Neil Armstrong did set a few, but it doesn't have any details of the flight (deadstick).

http://records.fai.org/general_aviation/aircraft.asp?id=646

 

[Lead Sled]

Here's a link with all the records made by the 28. It appears Neil Armstrong did set a few, but it doesn't have any details of the flight (deadstick).

http://records.fai.org/general_aviation/aircraft.asp?id=646

I couldn't get that link to open, but I remember reading a blurb about it in one of the flying magazines just after the record was set. I remember thinking at the time "Dang, that Armstrong guy has cast iron cajones..."

Not a lot of guys out there would have the nerve to intentionally depart in a 20 series lear with just enough fuel to climb to altiude and flame out the glide back to the airport and land. There's probably even fewer that the insurance companies would cover while they attempted it.

 

[Friedaloo]

Who needs insurance?

 

[Dizel8]

Ahh, the fabled Lear 28. Used to drool over the one that sat in the hangar at I believe LRD.

The early 24s had a lot of get up and go, so the 28 must have been amazing.

I believe there was a 24 with a 31 wing, but only one and it was supposedly rewinged!

 

[CDogg]

The Longhorn baby... Saw a nice looking one at the Lear factory last month... another one registered in Mexico. I saw the one in HOU yesterday before going down to Honduras... sweet looking bird.

 

[Mahi]

Yeah, I'm not too sure about climbing like a bat outta hell and flaming out on purpose either... I attempt power off approachs to landings on occasion in the 24 (never know when you might need this skill) and I must say it's a challenge. Then again, I'm not an astronaut.

Here's a list of the records that the 24 has made (green check marks indicate the record still stands). http://records.fai.org/general_aviation/aircraft.asp?id=566
For those that can't get the link to work here's the short list:
Time to climb to 3000m: 52 seconds
Time to climb to 6000m: 1 min, 43 seconds
Time to climb to 9000m: 2 min, 42 seconds
Time to climb to 12000m: 6 min, 5 seconds
and a whole bunch of "speeds over a recognized course"

Glad I had the opportunity to fly this classic little rocket. I've heard "if you can fly a lear 20 well, you can fly anything the civilian world can throw at you." I'd like to believe this... anyone buy into this philosophy? I'm not sure how much longer this plane will be around, but if you ever get the chance to burn a couple thousand dollars in jet-a, take it... loud, obnoxious, overpowered bliss... a true classic.

 

[Mahi]

Friedaloo... love the avatar. I have that same concert flier framed in my office. Radiohead live in Houston, Running from Demons Tour, 1998.... another classic... for our generation anyway.

 

[lear24]

Glad I had the opportunity to fly this classic little rocket. I've heard "if you can fly a lear 20 well, you can fly anything the civilian world can throw at you." I'd like to believe this... anyone buy into this philosophy?

I agree with it, everything else seems pretty tame after strapping on a bottle rocket. Colors seem duller, everything tastes plain, and the world moves slow.

 

[Lead Sled]

I agree with it, everything else seems pretty tame after strapping on a bottle rocket. Colors seem duller, everything tastes plain, and the world moves slow.

We used to call ours "the upper management's executive mailing tube..." Looking back on them they were slow (by today's standands), cramped (by any standard), required a little effort to give the boss a good ride, and you had to be on your A game. But to quote my (normally stoic) wife after her first takeoff in the Lear... "HOT DAMN that was fun!"

LS

 

[mzaharis]

Not a lot of guys out there would have the nerve to intentionally depart in a 20 series lear with just enough fuel to climb to altiude and flame out the glide back to the airport and land.

Nothing new for Neil. Heck, multiply the "kick in the pants" a few times, and that pretty much describes the X-15 he used to fly! Deadsticks from FL1500 in something with an L/D in the vicinity of the oft-cliched brick! He probably mistook the 28 for an open-class sailplane!

He is a quiet guy, but he has managed to establish the ferrous nature of his marbles on a number of occasions. This moment, in particular, comes to mind:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_8

 

[Mahi]

Nothing new for Neil. Heck, multiply the "kick in the pants" a few times, and that pretty much describes the X-15 he used to fly! Deadsticks from FL1500 in something with an L/D in the vicinity of the oft-cliched brick! He probably mistook the 28 for an open-class sailplane!

He is a quiet guy, but he has managed to establish the ferrous nature of his marbles on a number of occasions. This moment, in particular, comes to mind:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_8

Yeah, he was probably yawning on final. I've read "At the edge of space: the x-15 program" and "Yeager". Those guys had some amazing adventures. Pages full of pucker factor. Flying a Lear must have been pretty boring.