Minnesota Flyer - Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960

The iconic Learjet is one of the most well-known and

best-selling business aircraft in history. Bill Lear's design

was inspired by the Swiss FAA P-16 combat aircraft of 1955.

Proposed by Flug-und-Fahrzeugwerke to replace the Swiss

Air Force's piston engine aircraft, the P-16 flew in April

1955. After a series of accidents, further development

was abandoned.

Lear (1902-1978) saw the basic concept, particularly the wing

with tip tanks, as worthy of development into a small jet

transport. Initial design work took place at St. Gallen,

Switzerland, under the name of the Swiss American Aviation

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