The Challenger was also one of the first bizjets designed with a supercritical wing. For example, the use of a widened fuselage that allowed a "walk-about cabin". While the Challenger would be similar in general configuration to other aircraft of its type already on the market, certain of its features would stand out. These financial guarantees were later used as an academic example of insufficient monitoring and lax controls in government support of industry. Due to the use of letters of comfort, the extent of the Ministry's financial commitments for Canadair could be kept from parliament and the public for several years. In the 1980 The National Film Board of Canada documentary on the development of the aircraft, future Prime Minister Jean Chrétien specifically refers to the effect of personal contact with Lear (on Chrétien’s decision to direct financial support to Canadair’s program).Īt the time of these events, Chrétien was successively President of the Treasury Board, Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce, and Minister of Finance, in the Canadian Federal government. However, Canadair planned to use Lear’s name and skills at self-promotion to secure extensive financial guarantees for a business jet project from the Canadian Federal government. Thus, he had only been able to pay a California aeronautical consultant to do some very preliminary design explorations. He was also at financial low point, with a tiny staff. Lear did not have an expert grasp of aeronautical engineering. Ĭanadair's top management was of the opinion that Lear’s concept was sketchy at best. Thus, Canadair quickly abandoned the name LearStar and adopted the name Challenger. Even the name LearStar was not new to this concept, since Lear had long before used the name for his conversion of Lockheed Lodestars into business transports. However, Lear had practically no influence on the ensuing development and design of the aircraft. The origin of the Challenger 600 lies in Canadair’s purchase of a concept for a business jet aircraft, the LearStar 600 from the American inventor and aircraft developer Bill Lear.
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