Learjet 23

Image: NASA via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

Learjet 23

Designation: Learjet 23

Learjet Cold War general-aviation 1963-1966

Why it matters

Before the Learjet, if you were a CEO who wanted to fly private, you chartered a turboprop and pretended it was glamorous. Bill Lear changed that with a jet so fast and sleek it made everything else look like a station wagon.

The 23 was derived from a Swiss fighter jet design, which explains why it could outclimb a 727 and cruise at 45,000 feet. Only 104 were built, but they proved the concept so thoroughly that 'Learjet' became a generic word for private jet.

Every Gulfstream, Citation, and Falcon owes a debt to this stubborn, beautiful machine and the obsessive genius who willed it into existence.

Specifications

Max Speed 561 mph
Range 1,830 miles
Service Ceiling 45,000 ft
Engine 2x General Electric CJ610-4 turbojets
Power/Thrust 2,850 lbf each
Wingspan 35 ft 7 in
Length 43 ft 3 in
Crew 2
Production 104 built
First Flight 1963-10-07
Service Dates 1964-present

Notable Features

  • First mass-produced business jet
  • Derived from Swiss FFA P-16 fighter design
  • Could outclimb airliners to 45,000 feet
  • Tip tanks for additional fuel capacity

Patina notes

Surviving Learjet 23s have the look of early jet elegance wearing thin at the seams. The aluminum skin still catches light in a way that screams speed, but the panel lines show decades of pressurization cycles.

The cockpit is pure 1960s: round dials, toggle switches, and that distinctive fighter-derived yoke. The tip tanks give the wing a profile that's immediately recognizable.

These machines were built fast and flown hard by people who valued time over everything.

Preservation reality

Of the 104 built, a handful remain airworthy. Most have been retired due to the economics of operating a 60-year-old turbojet. The engines are thirsty, parts are scarce, and modern regulations make compliance expensive.

Museum examples exist but aren't common. The Learjet 23 occupies an odd space: too important to forget, too impractical to fly. The ones that survive are kept by enthusiasts who understand what they represent.

Where to see one

  • • Kansas Aviation Museum, Wichita
  • • National Air and Space Museum (on occasion)
  • • Western Museum of Flight, Torrance, CA
  • • Private collections

Preservation organizations

  • • Learjet Heritage Foundation
  • • National Business Aviation Association

Sources