Learjet 24

The Learjet 24 is an American twin-engine business jet built by Learjet as the successor to the Learjet 23, seating two crew and four to six passengers. It was designed to accept the full 13,500 pound gross weight permitted by FAR-25 standards, and added increased cabin pressurization, more powerful engines, a new windshield, wing tip fuel tanks and an engine fire-extinguishing system, which made it the first business jet certified under FAR-25. The first flight took place on 24 January 1966, and from 23 to 26 May 1966 a Learjet 24 flew around the world in 50 hours and 20 minutes of flying time as a demonstration. Variants ran from the 24A and 24B through the 24D to the 24E and 24F with the Century III wing, and 259 Model 24s were built in all. One aircraft was used by NASA as the Learjet Observatory, and examples are preserved in several museums in the United States.