LEAR FAN 2100

Description

The LearAvia Lear Fan 2100 turboprop was made of lightweight composite materials instead of the more usual aluminum alloy. It also featured a pusher design, in which two aircraft engines powered a single constant-speed three- or four-bladed propeller at the rear of the aircraft. A purpose-built gearbox allowed either one or both Pratt & Whitney of Canada PT6B free-shaft turbines to supply power via two driveshafts. The intent of the design was to provide the safety of multi-engine reliability, combined with single-engine handling in case of failure of one of the engines. Another interesting feature was the Y-shaped empennage at the tail. Two stabilizers pointed upward at an angle, similar to those on the V-tail Beechcraft Bonanza, and a stubby vertical stabilizer pointed downward. However, unlike the V-tail on the Bonanza, there was no pitch/yaw control mixing on the Lear Fan. The downward-pointing rudder also served to protect the propeller from ground strikes during takeoff and landing. The aircraft had a pressurized cabin and was designed for a service ceiling of 41,000 ft (12?500 m). It could accommodate two pilots and seven passengers, or one pilot and eight passengers. (Scale : 1/72e)