Grob Ceases Lear 85 Development

Grob Aerospace GmbH, which originally had an agreement with Bombardier to develop the composite fuselage for the new Learjet 85, will no longer be involved in the project. Bombardier elected to terminate its agreement with the Swiss company after Grob was forced to file for insolvency after a lead investor pulled out in August. Bombardier will now continue to develop the composite Learjet 85 design on its own.

Grob’s insolvency only relates to the company’s German subsidiary, Grob GmbH. Its Switzerland-based holding company, Grob Aerospace AG, is still solvent, as is the US-based Grob AG, which owns copyrights for Grob’s own SPn business jet aircraft.

The insolvency situation with Grob arose following delays in the certification of its SPn programme. Grob, which is one of the world’s largest and most experienced composite aircraft manufacturers, has been building composite aircraft since 1971 and has delivered more than 3,500 aircraft. It already has more than 100 orders for its SPn and is confident it will be able to secure further investment to complete certification of the SPn.

When Grob’s insolvency was first announced, Bombardier said it would continue working with Grob on the Learjet 85, but has since decided to terminate its agreement. Bombardier describes the move as decisive action that reflects its strong commitment to the Learjet 85 programme.

There will be much for Bombardier to learn, as it has not built any all-composite structures before, but it has said that it intends to maintain the existing development schedule.

The two companies appear to have retained a spirit of cooperation and Grob says it understands Bombardier’s need to keep the project moving. Grob has said it will help move all the Lear 85 tooling and structures out of its German plant.

Meanwhile, Grob is continuing to promote its SPn and will have a mockup of it at the National Business Aviation Association convention in Orlando in early October.