Lear Fan(s)

[chuckd]

Taxiing out!!!

[mustang5151]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

There's two of them - Let's have a race!!!!

[LearFanKid]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

First post after a year or two of lurking on the board enjoying everyone's posts, pictures, thoughts and well wishes. Thank you to everyone.

My mother worked for Mrs Lear during that chapter of the Lear Legacy. Because of that connection, I was a lucky kid from "Upper Stead" who in hindsight, was given a rare and great opportunity to work a summer for the company back in the day. That experience introduced me to the races and as many of you put it... got me in from behind the fence. My memories of knowing the air races growing up will always have a connection with the Lear Fan and the spirit of being a very small part of something that was truly an extraordinary effort... a spirit that Mr. and Mrs. Lear always managed to inspire. Even though my only role was I was to pick up the ciggarette butts out of the hanger door tracks, sweep the hanger floor and picked up garbage around the parking lot, Mrs. Lear always made me feel that I could be part of the pride everyone felt on that day Dec 32nd.

I wish the aircraft could have progressed further. I was to young to know at the time what the technical issues were or the significance of the technology being attempted, all I knew was that I was a fan of the fan. I remember they had a non-flying mock up of the Lear Fan fuse that I think they used for trade shows or sales purposes (not sure). It had non-functioning controls and seating in the cockpit. I loved sitting in that thing imagining myself being part of a flight or two.

I also remember sweeping up the shop in the big hanger. The place was bustling with worker on Mills, lathes..etc. There were also people working in closed rooms that I think were laying down strips of what looked like fibre glass I think. But it might have been part of the composite manufacturing process. I recall some big ovens that I think were part of the process as well. I wish I realized the significance of what Mrs. Lear was trying to do (at so many levels) back then and tried to learn/help more.

My Mother took me to a company party that Mrs. Lear hosted at her residence in Verdi. There sure were a lot of people... thinking back, I wish I could have mingled and met some who might have been there and surely interesting to meet. But I was barely a teeneager and ignorantly spent most of my time playing with other kids in her swimming pool next to the river. There was much enjoyment at the party watching her dancing the Charleston to everyones cheer!

I never really met Mr. Lear and can't say I knew Mrs. Lear to deeply, but I do know that Mrs. Lear was a great Lady and was always very kind to our family and helping my Mom who was a struggling single parent Mother of three boys living in Upper Stead (there were only two parts to Stead back then.. Upper and Lower ) .

Thanks for posting what may seem to be insignificant pictures. If it is any inspiration to post more, they triggered some fond memories for me of my Mother growing up and during her employment with Mrs. Lear. (and my very first job!)


Thank you and warm regards to everyone through the Holidays

[retroaviation]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

Nice story! Thanks for sharing.

Gary

[wolfee]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

Larked,

Thanks for sharing a part of your childhood with us, and welcome to the forefront of the AAFO forums. Lurking is fun, but being apart of the convoy is even more so.


Both Mr. and Mrs. Lear were great people. I didnt get a chance to know them on a personal level, but more of the occasional acquaintance. Mrs. Lear had a very sharp memory, and always remembered who I was, and would ask how the family and I were doing.

I never got to see the inner workings of the Learfan hangers, but I spent allot of time out at the air field. Working with the gliders as a launch and recovery hand.

During that time, I had the opportunity to see the Learfans fly on more then one occasion. What a sight that was to see and hear! I would always jump up and down and hoop and holler, and wave my hat when they taxied by us. Wow that seems so long ago now, I was... humm... 14 or 15 or so then... EEEK, I feal old now


I dont know how true this is. Maybe someone here and confirm, or deny it. My gut says it is false, but you never know, stranger things have happened.

I guess is would have been the 99 or 2k races. But there was a rather young gal at the races, talking about a storage unit she had won at auction full (or so she believed) or surplus computers, and parts from UNR. As she dug through the unit, pulling computers, boxes, printers and such out. She saw what was the empty shell of the static display Learfan. She had no idea it was there when she placed the bid on the unit. So it was a rather surprising find for her. When I asked her what she planned on doing with it, she said she had no idea, but was probably going to donate it to some museum.

Anyone know were the static display Learfan is now?

Wolfee

[FENCELINER]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

The race is on!

[Jeff E]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

What a very cool pic Fenceliner.. thanks..

j

[MRussell]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

Fenceliner allllllllllllllways comes through, and it's #39 by a nose!

[Sailing South]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

I asked Penney if he is flying one. He said he is flying the red one.

How kewl is that
Scott

[Skyracer]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

Was talking with a Certification Engineer at work yesterday and he mentioned the Lear Fan. Said his first engineering job was on the Lear Fan and that he was there from very early on to the end. Has a lot of interesting stories.

[LearFanKid]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

Thank you Wolfee and Fenceliner for the pic on the course... did anyone get any times? The picture is interesting too since it shows one of the Lear Fans in either an early or later paint scheme. Whenever I saw them flying, I'd try to figure out if it was either Mr. Lears plane or Mrs. Lears plane. I think the airplane ID numbers referenced each of their respective birthdates, but I knew Mrs. Lears by the blue color in the paint scheme. I remember Mr. Lears also having a different red white and blue stripe in the paint scheme. I often saw them flying around the North Valleys together like that... but never on the course!

Wolfee, it is very possible we could have crossed paths growing up. Maybe on the air field, in the halls of Stead or OBrien Schools maybe even in the Old Theatre across the street from the Brave Bull. I used to go into that theatre and watch some pretty cool Sinbad movies they used to run.

Anyway.. that empty shell you speak of sounds a lot like the mock up I mentioned. I have no idea where it went.

As for the planes themselves,

I know "Mr Lears" Fan is in the Museum of Flight in Seattle. I'm not sure what happened to Mrs. Lears' Fan though?

[Skyracer]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

I know "Mr Lears" Fan is in the Museum of Flight in Seattle. I'm not sure what happened to Mrs. Lears' Fan though?

I think the FAA ended up with one for testing composite structures, etc.

[Leo]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

I don't remember them ever actually running the course, could be wrong. Made some nice formation passes tho.
Wish I had all those years pics (slides) at hand like you, Fenceliner!

[race9]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

I think the FAA ended up with one for testing composite structures, etc.

The prototype is at the EAA museum in Oshkosh I think.

["Bear" Driver]

Re: Lear Fan(s)

Checking my logbook, that flight was on September 19th, 1982. I flew as PIC in N626BL with George Harrison as my copilot. Don Madonna, who was our Director of Flight Operations at LearFan, was PIC in N327ML. Think Joe Brownlee (now an FAA test pilot), was his SIC.

We did not fly on the course, but made a few passes up and down runway 8/26 for the crowd at the air races.

N626BL was for Bill Lear's birthday, June 26th, and N327ML was for Moya Lear's birthday, March 27th.

I was very fortunate to work with some great people on a great project from November 1979 until the plant closed their doors in May of 1985. One could go on for hours about the capabilities of the LearFan 2100, and about how it ungloriously slipped into aviation history without being able to have its full capabilities understood and exploited.

N626BL, the #1 flying prototype hangs in the Museum of flight at Boeing field near Seattle. As I understand 327ML, our primary data bird, has moved around (and through EAA Oshkosh), and now resides near Dallas, Texas in a private museum. N2100LF, our first production (and last flying), prototype, is rotting away in the back lot of FAA's facility in Oklahoma City.

The LearFan 2100 was a marvelous piece of aviation machinery, had better fuel specifics than any other turboprop in production at that time, would make it to FL410, and could achieve right up against 400 mph at it's flat rated critical altitude of approximately FL230. It was a delight to fly, with great control harmony and performance out the wazoo. Besides all that, it was one of the prettiest corporate sized ships ever designed. Bill Lear, Moya Lear, Dr. Richard Tracy, Hank Beaird, Dennis Newton, Ian Gilchrist and the whole LearFan team brought forth a winner that, because of the worst downturn in business aviation history during the early 1980s, never had a real chance to spread its wings and show the aviation community what a remarkable airplane it was. I do, however, get to lay claim to the dubious distinction of flying the last test flight on the first LearFan, and the first test flight on the last LearFan....

After test flying at LearFan, I was recalled to the airlines and went on to do some other sport flying.

John Penney