SAAC-23
| SAAC-23 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Business jet |
| National origin | Switzerland & United States |
| Designer |
Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke AG& Learjet based on a design by Dr.eng. Hans-Luzius Studer |
| Number built | 0 |
| Variants | Learjet 23 |
The SAAC-23 was a project study for a Business jet in the early 1960s in Switzerland.
Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke AG (FFA) developed the FFA P-16 combat aircraft for the Swiss Air Force. The Swiss government canceled the purchase of 100 P-16s after the second crash of a pre-production aircraft. The Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke AG also tried to find export customers for the P-16. For the USA, the AJ-7 version was modified with a shortened engine exhaust, a fin under the tail as well as the after-burning General Electric J79-11A was projected. Because of this project the son of William P. Lear tested the P-16 in Switzerland. Already in the 1950s, William P.Bill Lear had developed the LearStar, his first business travel aircraft. He equipped Lockheed Model 18 Lodestars with new systems and interior arrangement for eight to twelve passengers. After selling LearStar's license rights, Lear began to develop a small Business jet around 1960. As his son Bill Lear pointed out the good flying characteristics of the P-16, in particular on the wing layout, which allowed short take-offs and landings.
As part of the project, Lear founded the parent company Swiss American Aviation Corp. in Delaware in April 1960. (SAAC) with a subsidiary Aviation Development Corp. in St. Gallen. Later, this changed to Wichita, Kansas USA and Geneva, Switzerland. In Switzerland, the design was revised with the support of Gordon Israel, who had already worked as a designer of the Grumman F7F Tigercat and the Grumman F9F Panther before joining Lear to develop the LearStar. Further development work in Switzerland was provided by Hans-Luzius Studer, who had designed the FFA P-16 combat aircraft of the Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein, from which was largely taken over the wing design for the new aircraft. The project was named SAAC-23.
The SAAC-23 should be a business jet in low-winglayout and crosstail layout with two jet engines at the stern, wingtip tanks, landing gear with two wheels on each undercarriage and two windows on each fuselage side for the passenger area. The tail / Side rudder and elevator and landing gear should be based directly on the components of the P-16.
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Wikipedia