Aircraft

Gates Learstar

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Shortly after World War II, Bill Lear bought a fleet of Lodestars. In 1953, Gordon Israel signed on with William Lear to redesign the Lockheed Lodestar into the Learstar executive transport. Lear tinkered with their noses and streamlined the fuselages. He added fairings to the landing gear and beefed up the horsepower. Lear’s new plane was one of the first truly executive aircraft, and Lear guaranteed a 300 mph cruise speed for businessmen who were in a hurry.

When the Learstar was finished, it was 52 knots faster than the stock Lockheed, and Lear eventually sold 72 of the big long range twins, one of them going to the Krupps of Germany on a delivery flight that went from Santa Monica to Dosseldorf, Germany with only one stop, at Frobisher.

Gates Learjet Corp / Swiss American Aviation / Learjet Inc

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Swiss American Aviation Corporation
Gates Learjet Corporation
Learjet Inc

William P. Lear founded the Swiss American Aviation Corporation in 1960 to build a twin-jet executive aircraft, originally designated SAAC-23. Tooling was completed in Europe but moved to Wichita, Kansas, in 1962, when the company became known as Lear Jet Corporation. By 1964 all work had been transferred to USA. In 1967, Bill Lear sold his 60 percent interest in the company to Gates Rubber Corporation, and in 1970 the name was changed to Gates Learjet Corporation. Became Learjet Inc. in 1987.
Lear Jet Inc becoming a division of Bombardier in 1990, offering the 11-seat light Learjet 31A (first flown May 1987), 11 -seat mid-size Learjet 45 (first flown October 1995), and 12-seat transcontinental Learjet 60 (first flown October 1990).

Gatard AG02 Stratoplan Poussin

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M. Albert Gatard’s Poussin (chick) has excellent aerobatic qualities with 20 seconds of inverted flying possible. Several are under construction around the world, including one in Zaire. The control system uses a unique, variable-incidence lifting tailplane of large area. The pilot lowers full-span slotted aileron/flaps and adjusts the tailplane to maintain pitching equilibrium. Aircraft is single-seat wooden low-winger, fixed gear.
Development continued into the 1970s.

Engine modified 24 hp VW, 1200cc.
Gross weight 617 lbs.
Empty weight 375 lbs.
Wingspan 21 ft.
Length 14 ft 10.5 in.
Wing area: 66 sq.ft.
Cruise speed 89 mph.
Climb rate 435 fpm.

Gatard

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M. Albert Gatard, 52 route de Jonzac, 17130-Montendre, France.
M. Albert Gatard designed and built several light monoplanes in mid-1950s with a new control system using a variable-incidence large-area tailplane. AG 01 Alouette was a two-seater, AG 02 Poussin a single-seater, and AG 03 Hirondelle two-seat side-by-side. Development of all three aircraft continued into the 1970s.

Gasuden KR-1 Chidorigo (Plover)

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Production of the D.H.83 reached a total of 98 aircraft completed in England, plus two examples in Australia and one copy in Japan. That machine was modelled after several original examples sold to that country, but it was fitted with a Gasuden Jimpu 3 radial engine of 150 hp. The aircraft went by the name of Gasuden KR-1 and was christened ‘Chidorigo’ (Plover). As far as is known, just this one example was built. The single Gasuden KR-1 was flown by the Japanese Aerial Transport Company.