Learjet 40 (oz16003)

About this Plan

Learjet 40. Radio control sport-scale model. Wingspan 55.5 in, wing Area 554 sq in. For .40-.50 engine. Tractor prop layout.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Note photo of completed Learjet 40 built by juanpipito [main pic] was found online at: https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-scale-aircraft-169/36052-great-planes-lear-jet-2.html

See supplement file for complete illustrated build instructions (40 pages total).

Quote: "Congratulations! Thank you for purchasing the Great Planes Learjet!

This Learjet is a sport model of the full-size Learjet 35A. It was designed by noted Ultra Sport modeler Jim Feldmann. It's easy to build and fly, predictable, fairly aerobatic and has no bad habits, making it a great sport airplane. Traditional Great Planes quality and ruggedness is evident throughout this kit, making this an airplane you'll want to take along every time you go to the flying field.

This is not a beginner's airplane! While the Learjet is fairly easy to build and flies great, we must discourage you from selecting this kit as your first R/C airplane. It can be fast, highly maneuverable and lacks the self-recovery characteristics of a good basic trainer such as the Great Planes PT Series. On the other hand, if you have already learned the basics of R/C flying and you are able to safely handle a trainer airplane, the Learjet is an excellent choice to improve your skills and learn new maneuvers.

Decisions you must make:

Engine And Mount: The recommended engine size range is as follows: 40 - .50 cubic inch displacement 2-stroke. This kit includes a Great Planes EM2840 engine mount that fits nearly all 2-stroke engines in the recommended range. If you prefer, you may purchase a custom engine mount for your engine, or you may choose to install shock-absorbing, rubber-cushioned mounts.

Fixed or retractable landing gear: The Great Planes Learjet includes prebent wire landing gear for fixed installation. To add to the sleek and realistic appearance of your model in flight, you may want to install retracts. We have included instructions for both installations. However, you will need to purchase a set of three mechanical retracts, two servos, and a 'Y' harness if you choose the retract option. Pneumatic retracts may be used in place of the suggested mechanical units if you prefer..."

Update 21/7/2026: Added kit review from RCM&E September 1996, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "Kit Review. Kevin Crozier gets down to business and builds a great looking executive jet.

Even though Nexus Special Interests are one of the biggest companies involved in modelling, owning our own executive jet is just a little too extravagant at the moment. But being a company full of keen modellers, we were able to do the next best thing and build our own miniature company aircraft, courtesy of the Great Planes Learjet kit and the UK distributor Ripmax.

Designed for a standard .40-.46 cu.in. two stroke, mounted at the nose in the normal fashion, the Learjet really looks the part, even with a couple of prop blades sticking out of the spinner. And when it's in the air, you'll be too busy enjoying this model's smooth jet-like flying style to even notice its humble choice of powerplant.

Presented in a full colour box with lots of eye-catching pics of the finished jet, the kit is packed with balsa and ply in sheet and strip form, and includes lots of crisply die-cut parts. To form the curvy bits, namely the tip tanks, jet nacelles, belly pan and cockpit, Great Planes make extensive use of moulded ABS plastic. Also included is a good quality hardware pack which contains all the necessary fixings, high quality rolled plans, a large self adhesive decal sheet and a 40 page step by step instruction book. Pre-formed wire parts are provided for a fixed undercarriage, but full instructions are provided for fitting retracts if you wish, though you'll need to buy a set of wheels either way. I chose to fit a set of Robart mechanical units in order to fully appreciate the 'jet experience' promised on the kit box.

Other than wheels, all you need to supply is a spinner, fuel tank, a five channel radio set and several servo extension leads - there's a lot of wiring inside the Learjet! With regard to the spinner, Great Planes manufacture a matching item for this kit and this is well worth getting if you want to maintain the sleek lines of this great looking model.

Construction starts by building the fin, which has a built up 1/4 in core, sheeted either side with 1/16 balsa. The leading edge of the core is a balsa/ply/balsa sandwich, the parts of which are ready grooved to accept the Bowden cable tubes used to drive the T-tail mounted elevators and rudder.

Likewise the tailplane is a sheeted core affair and this also builds quickly and accurately over the plan.

Wings: A couple of the most distinctive features of the Learjet are the parallel wing tip extensions which, on the model, run for one and a half rib bays. To achieve this, the 1/4 x 3/8 main spars have a dogleg built in. The spars also have 1/8 doublers added, which extend to halfway down the tapered section.

With the spars constructed, thoughts turn to deciding which type of undercarriage is to be fitted. The undercarriage bearers fit into slots pre-cut into rib doublers which are glued to ribs R3 and R4 of each wing. Two types of doublers are supplied, the fixed gear type having a single slot for the grooved hardwood bearer, whilst the retract type has two slots for the ply retract mounts. Be careful when gluing the doublers in place as it's quite easy to get them upside down; keep a good eye on the photos in the instruction book and all will be well.

Time to add the ribs. A tapered balsa jig is pinned underneath the trailing edge to provide washout in the final assembly. Henceforth, construction is entirely conventional, with shear webs between the spars and 3/32 sheeting and cap strips over the top. The accurate plan and cleanly cut parts makes this an easy and pleasurable task. The final rib bays at the tips are quite narrow and they are in-filled with hardwood blocks to form boxes to retain the plywood tongues which extend out of the ABS tip tanks..."

Supplementary file notes

Instructions.
Review.

Corrections?

Did we get something wrong with these details about this plan (especially the datafile)? That happens sometimes. You can help us fix it.
Add a correction