The Learjet 60 is said to have been designed for a niche market – a niche that needs private jets that climb quickly to high cruise levels, have fast cruise speeds, operate economically, and are reliable. It would seem that those features would attract more than a niche worth of buyers, but the important point is that the Learjet 60 more than lives up to its expectations.

Specs:

Passengers: 8 (default)

Lavatory: Enclosed

Maximum Speed: 872 km/h

Maximum Altitude: 45,000 ft.

Range: 2,590nm (default)

Cabin Size: 5’9” (width) x 17.7’ (length) x 5.7’ (height)

Baggage Capacity: 55 cu. ft. (default)

Cabin

The cabin of the Learjet 60 is the biggest yet in the Learjet line. It can hold seven or eight passengers in its cabin, designed to have the most space where it counts – specifically, elbow room for seated passengers. Amenities like fold-out work tables and radio phone come standard, and a fax machine, microwave, and coffee maker can be added as desired.

Flight deck

The Learjet 60 uses the Integrated Pro Line 4 avionics system. It is controlled centrally by an IAPS (Integrated Avionics Processing System), which links to all of the other flight systems and controls. The displays are consolidated into four large-format electronic displays for a sleek, modern control panel layout. The IAPS contains a flight guidance system and FMS for short-range navigation. An Automatic AlliedSignal digital cabin pressurization system regulates the cabin pressure throughout the flight without any need for pilot input – one only needs to input the elevation of the destination and the system controls the rest.

Engines

Pratt & Whitney Canada supplied the engines for the Learjet 60: two PW305A turbofans. They are flat-rated to 4,600 pounds of thrust each to reduce takeoff noise, but have the capacity to provide 5,225 pounds of thrust. The choice to reduce noise levels resulted in a 70.8 EPNdB output on takeoff and an 87.7 EPNdB noise level on landing. All of the engine’s functions are controlled electronically by a FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system. It automatically regulates engine performance in flight to reduce pilot workload.

Performance

The strongest feature of the Learjet 60 is its cruise performance. It can climb to its cruise level of 43,000 feet in less than fourteen minutes when loaded to its maximum takeoff weight of 23,500 pounds. Once at cruise level, it can reach speeds of up to 453 knots (about .76 Mach). It has a transcontinental range of 2,590 miles (2250 nautical miles) when carrying six or seven passengers. Its average fuel consumption is 213 pounds per hour, a consumption as low as the fuel burn of smaller light weight private jets.