The 8-10 passenger Learjet 85 will be the first Bombardier Aerospace aircraft to feature fuselage and wing built primarily from carbon composites. It will also be the first composite business jet designed for type certification under US Federal Aviation Administration FAR Part 25.
The construction of the 185 000 ft2 (17 187 m2) Learjet 85 component manufacturing centre in Mexico was completed in July 2010. Fabrication of parts for the first Learjet 85 aircraft is now underway.
In addition, over 36 300 ft2 (3370 m2) of existing space at the Querétaro site has been allocated to the Learjet 85 aircraft programme. This brings the total Learjet 85 aircraft footprint at the Querétaro site to approximately 221 300 ft2 (20 560 m2) in order to support composite fuselage manufacturing and wing assembly.
Bombardier Aerospace Mexico’s manufacturing responsibility for the Learjet 85 aircraft programme includes fuselage lay-up and sub-system installation, wiring harness fabrication and installation, wing assembly, and horizontal and vertical stabiliser assemblies. During the past three months, over 150 tools, including many major tools, have been fabricated and shipped to the new manufacturing site. Equipment installation has progressed well with the completion of the clean room, freezer installation to house the composite material, and installation of three ovens.
Composites manufacturing in Mexico
“Through the consistent manufacture and on-time delivery of high-quality components and assemblies to Bombardier manufacturing sites around the globe, the Querétaro site has already proven that it operates at a world-class level,” said Réal Gervais, Vice President, Operations, Bombardier Aerospace Mexico. “We now continue towards our goal of becoming a centre of excellence for composite manufacturing.”
“We are on target with all of our programme objectives, and production of the first composite parts for the Learjet 85 aircraft at our Mexico facility is underway,” says Ralph Acs, Vice President, Learjet 85, Bombardier Business Aircraft.
Established in 2006, operations at Bombardier’s facility in Mexico have grown to employ more than 1200 workers and include the manufacture of structural aircraft components, including the Global business jet family aft fuselage, the Q400 NextGen aircraft flight control work package and the CRJ700/900/1000 NextGen and Challenger 605/850 aircraft rudders, as well as main harnesses and electrical sub-assemblies for Bombardier business and commercial aircraft.
