The program was launched on October 30, 2007 and a mockup of the aircraft was unveiled in October 2008 at the NBAA show in Orlando. The Learjet 85 was to fit between the midsize and the super midsize segments of the market. Designed for type certification under FAR-25, it was the first Bombardier Aerospace business jet to feature a composite structure. The plane was intended to have a high-speed cruise of Mach 0.82 and a transcontinental range of up to 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km).
On January 15, 2015, Bombardier announced their decision to suspend the Learjet 85 program and cut 1000 associated jobs.[1][2][3]
On October 29, 2015, Bombardier chief executive Alain Bellemare announced a 2015 $4.9 billion third quarter loss, including the cancellation of the Learjet 85 program.[4]
Design and development
Computer software design tools were used on the project, including CATIA and HyperSizer, and similar wing technology employed as on the Bombardier CSeries.[5]
Bombardier reported nearly 60 Learjet 85 orders at a price of US$17.2 million (2008 dollars). Flexjet announced it would be the initial launch customer with seven orders in 2011.[6][7]
The development was "paused" in January 2015 as the aircraft development was consuming too much money and orders were lacking. The company suspended the Learjet 85 to concentrate on the CSeries and Global 7000/8000 instead. On October 29, 2015, the project was cancelled.[3][4]
