Learjet 45

Turbofan twin engine • Low Wing • Retractable gear

Range Map

Origin:

• nm at current load

• click map to move • two fingers to move map

Payload vs. Range

Configure weights

Pax weight (lbs)

Default: 190 lbs

Luggage / pax (lbs)

Default: 30 lbs

Occupants

lb + lbs / pax

Select payload

gal

Fuel on board

lbs

Extra weight

Range

Available Range / nm

Mission capable. Aircraft can handle the current load with full fuel tanks.

Fuel tradeoff required. You'll need to leave gallons of fuel behind ( gal usable for nm range).

Over max gross weight. Reduce payload by lbs to safely operate this aircraft.

Extra weight is the additional payload available with your selected passengers.

Mission Profile

Used market

445

KTAS

Cruise Speed

1,824

Max Range

51,000

Service Ceiling

Occupants

796

lbs

Wet Payload

Endorsements & ratings:

High-Altitude
Pressurization
Multi-Engine
Instrument

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Learjet 45

Type certificated 1997 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet

Overview

The Learjet 45 (and its hot-and-high 45XR revision) was the first clean-sheet Learjet since the original Model 23, and the design that defined the “super-light” bracket between the light and mid-size jets. Earlier Learjets carried a narrow, trenched cabin; the 45 introduced a flat-floor cross-section and a double-club layout seating up to nine passengers, a real comfort step over the Learjet 35/36 it replaced. Two Honeywell TFE731-20AR turbofans take it to a 51,000 ft ceiling and a 445-knot cruise, and the 45XR adds thrust margin for hot-and-high departures and faster time-to-climb. Production ran from its 1997 type certification until the line evolved into the Garmin G5000-equipped Learjet 75; the 45 remains the senior member of the 40/45/70/75 family.

For the GA buyer, the 45 is the value route into a genuine super-light twinjet, and most cross-shopping turns on age rather than capability. Against a modern Embraer Phenom 300 it concedes fuel efficiency, single-pilot certification, and a current-generation panel, but it acquires for a fraction of the price and offers a flat-floor cabin. Against its own Learjet 75 descendant it gives up the G5000 flight deck and a modest speed and range margin while costing far less to buy. The decision against this type usually comes down to operating economics rather than performance: two-pilot crewing, the phase-inspection schedule, and a 12-year airframe check that can run past $78,000 are what determine whether a super-light earns its place over a fast turboprop or a newer light jet.

Key Features for GA Buyers

Flat-floor super-light cabin. The 45 was the first Learjet to abandon the dropped-aisle “trench,” giving a flat floor and a double-club cabin for up to nine passengers that feels a class larger than the 35/36 lineage.
Altitude and speed. A 51,000 ft ceiling lets it overfly most weather and airline traffic, and a 445-knot cruise keeps trip times competitive with jets a bracket above it.
45XR improvements. The XR revision raises takeoff thrust for hot-and-high fields and sharpens time-to-climb; it is the single most worthwhile upgrade to look for on the used market.
Fleet support. With a large global fleet and Honeywell MSP coverage on the engines, parts and maintenance support remain solid despite the type being out of production.

Trade-offs

Range with a full cabin. Book range is roughly 1,800 nm, but filling the seats trims it; this is a regional and transcon-with-a-stop aircraft against headwinds, not a nonstop coast-to-coast machine.
Two-pilot certification. Like every Learjet in the line, the 45 requires two pilots. Owner-operator budgets must carry a second crew member or a contract pilot.
Phase-inspection economics. The A/B/C/D phase schedule and the 12-year inspection concentrate maintenance into periodic events that can be expensive; pre-buy diligence on inspection status materially affects true cost of ownership.
Runway at weight. Better than the vintage Learjets, but at MTOW it still wants 4,000-plus feet, keeping the shortest GA fields out of reach compared with a turboprop.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Height: 14.1 ft
Length: 57.6 ft
Parking area (ft²): 3618.28 ft²

Max Takeoff Weight: 21,500 lbs
Max Landing Weight: 19,200 lbs
Useful Load: 6,860 lbs
Fuel Capacity: 905 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed: 445 KTAS
Never-Exceed (V_NE): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 330 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (V_NO): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 330 KIAS
Approach Speed: 123 KIAS
Stall, Clean (V_S₁): 95 KIAS
Range: 1824 NM
Service Ceiling: 51,000 ft
Rate of Climb: 2800 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle: 4,200 ft
Landing ground roll: 2,660 ft

Engines

Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Learjet 45 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.

EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.020 Issue 17 (validates FAA TCDS T00008WI), items 18 and 20 drs.faa.gov

Similar to the Learjet 45

Similar Turbofans

Learjet 75

Cruise

465 kts

Range

2040 nm

Seats

2 × Turbofan Low Wing Used market