The Learjet 24 is a pioneering light business jet, famous for its high-speed performance, compact size, and its role in cementing Learjet’s place in aviation history. As a direct successor to the original Learjet 23, the 24 featured significant upgrades, making it safer, faster, and more capable—especially in high-altitude and international operations.

✈️ Overview:

• Role: Light business jet
• Manufacturer: Lear Jet Corporation (later Gates Learjet)
• First flight: February 24, 1966
• Introduced: 1966
• Total built: ~259 aircraft
• Predecessor: Learjet 23
• Successor: Learjet 25

🛠️ Key Specifications (Learjet 24D variant – most capable version):

• Engines: 2 × General Electric CJ610-6 turbojets
• Max cruise speed: ~470 knots (540 mph / 870 km/h)
• Range: ~1,300–1,400 nautical miles (2,400–2,600 km)
• Service ceiling: 51,000 ft (15,545 m)
• Takeoff distance: ~4,300 ft (1,310 m)
• Landing distance: ~2,800 ft (853 m)
• Crew: 2
• Passengers: 4–6
• Cabin dimensions: Length: 12.9 ft (3.93 m) Width: 4.9 ft (1.5 m) Height: 4.3 ft (1.3 m)
  • Length: 12.9 ft (3.93 m)
  • Width: 4.9 ft (1.5 m)
  • Height: 4.3 ft (1.3 m)

🔍 Key Features:

• Pressurized cabin—a major step forward from the Learjet 23
• Certified for operations up to 51,000 feet, which was unheard of for a civilian aircraft in the 1960s
• Upgraded engines over the Learjet 23, improving performance and range
• Known for its military-fighter-like flight characteristics
• Retained the clean, bullet-like fuselage and swept wing design of its predecessor

✅ Strengths:

• Extremely fast and agile for its size
• Excellent climb performance and high-altitude cruising
• Solid international range for a light jet
• Reliable and simple systems compared to modern jets
• Small enough to access short or remote runways

❌ Weaknesses:

• Very cramped cabin—no stand-up room, and limited legroom
• No full lavatory
• Noisy CJ610 turbojets—non-compliant with modern noise standards without modifications
• Short range by today’s standards
• High fuel consumption relative to payload and distance

✨ Variants:

• Learjet 24A/B/C/D/E – Each introduced improvements in engines, avionics, and structural changes
• Learjet 24D – One of the most popular versions, with improved gross weight and avionics
• Learjet 24E/F – Final variants with further improvements in systems and performance

🛩️ Fun Facts:

• The Learjet 24 was the first business jet to be certified for operation above 40,000 ft, and it could cruise up to 51,000 ft, higher than most airliners even today.
• NASA and the U.S. military used modified Learjet 24s for research, tracking, and testing.
• Despite being a civilian jet, its performance is often compared to that of military interceptors from the same era.

👑 Legacy:

The Learjet 24 helped establish the light business jet category, paving the way for decades of innovation in private aviation. It was a jet for those who valued speed, performance, and style, and it remains a favorite among aviation historians and collectors.