CRAZY LEGS
"You gotta go down"
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2003
- Posts
- 43
No experience in the Excel but over 2500 hrs in the 45. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been unable to dispatch in the 45. That’s a lot of legs in a Learjet. The 45 got off to a rough start partly because it was a clean sheet design, but it is a mature product now with over 400 40/45’s in service.
The 45 will make it to TEB-PHX with 4 PAX and avg. 50kt headwind and land with ~ 800 lbs (including the early descent) provided that you execute the LRC profile properly. People that say that the 45 is less than a 4 hour airplane are not operating the aircraft correctly.
It boils down to what is important to your owners. Do they want to almost be able to stand up like in the Excel or are speed and efficiency more important to them?
Do they realize that to approach the same range as the 45 that they will have to fly nearly 100 kts slower in the Excel? That’s a lot of speed to give up.
Do they realize that even though the Excel is lighter and holds more fuel that it can’t fly as far? That fact speaks to the design of the aircraft and it is easy to see that the 45 is way more efficient.
Knowing this, have your owners actually sit down in both aircraft, or better yet have them demo both. I think what they will find is that even though you can’t stand up in the 45 that your seated head and shoulder room is better due to the oval cabin and flat floor.
As a pilot, do you want to fly at .80 between 450-490 or .70 between 410-450?
Do you want dual main gears with massive brakes, or one main gear bearing a lot of weight?
Do you want modern systems with full EICAS messaging or just some pretty glass?
And finally, is it important for your flight department to have a good looking airplane?
