70 |^ MAGAZINE^10
S aar
ttt
ddeesiiii nn dd ooo iiiinneesssssGrumman has the merit of having
designed the first corporate aircraft,
but Lockheed had the initiative of
putting to fly the first “business jet”- a pioneering that came from no-
thing. In 1955, the company began
to develop a small-sized multiengine
jet. The goal was meeting a requi-
rement of the US Air Force for a
machine that would allow training –
at lower costs – the crews of the new
jet bombers and cargo jet aircrafts
that were entering into operation.
When the first L-239 took off, in
September 1957, Lockheed adverti-
sements highlighted its capacity to
simulate weapon systems, in-flight
refueling and instrument navigation
at high speeds. Secondarily, it was a
military option for transporting per-
sonnel and cargo with high priority.
Budgetary cuts in the USAF re-
duced the orders, and the company
decided to offer the machine in the
civilian market. Swept-back wings
and four Pratt & Whitney JT12
turbojets (in nacelles at wing sides)
led the jet to Mach 0.8 (nearly 910
kilometers per hour) with operating
ceiling above 40,000 feet. So much
performance demanded a price:
maximum takeoff weight exceeded
20 tons (five more than that of the
Gulfstream I) and its endurance
with 10 passengers was less than
4,000 kilometers. In addition to highconsumption, maintenance cost of
the four engines was very high for a
private aircraft. And the acquisition
price was near US$ 2 million.
In spite of these limitations, the
JetStar has got a reasonable success.
Sold from 1962, soon it got many
admirers. Elvis Presley and Frank
Sinatra have chosen it for perso-
nal use. Beside the USAF many
air forces around the world have
adopted the model as VIP transport
for authorities and chiefs of state.
Around 1970, a new version was
launched with more economic and
silent turbofan Garrett engines. The
model was manufactured until 1978,
and had nearly 200 units marketed.