The Learjet 45XR (ICAO: LJ45 / WAKE: MED), is a 10 seat business jet aircraft. Created in Second Life by [[::Category: ZSK Digital Designs|ZSK Digital Designs]], the plane was based on the iconic real-life Learjet 45XR, an American built aircraft that is used widely around the world.
Background
Real-life
The Model 45 was developed in the 1990s as a competitor in the "super-light" business jet category, a rival to the popular Cessna Citation Excel / XLS – but sacrificing the Cessna's stand-up room for the Learjet family's traditional high-speed performance.
The Model 45 was Learjet's first completely new ("clean sheet") design since the company's first aircraft (all other models having been evolved from the original 1963 Learjet design, the Model 23). The Model 45 was developed to make Learjets fundamentally more competitive against newer designs from competing manufacturers. But, as a clean-sheet design (starting from scratch), being built to more rigorous (FAR Part 25) rules, than previous Learjets, the aircraft's development took substantially greater time than the development of previous Learjet models.
The development of the LJ45 began in 1989, but was not announced by Bombardier until September, 1992. First flight of the prototype aircraft took place on October 7, 1995 – the 32nd anniversary of the first flight of the original Learjet 23. FAA certification was delayed, and finally granted in September 1997, with the first customer aircraft subsequently delivered in January, 1998. Flying Magazine reports that the Lear 45 was first certified under FAR Part 25 (transport category rules) in 1998.
Second Life
Produced by ZSK Digital Designs for Second Life, their replica aircraft is closely referenced to a real Learjet 45XR, with the intention of bringing a unique and realistic experience with it's New Generation of Flight Physics cores to the Second Life's Aviation community. The Learjet 45XR was officially released on January 12th, 2018 and is sold with the LJ-45XR aircraft/display model with Mode B and Mode A, TUGBOTT Aircraft Tug, Desk model, Keybind Gesture pack, Heads-up display (HUD), ZSK's Custom Paint Assistant Tool (CPAT), and Photoshop based templates.
Physics Core
The Learjet 45XR uses the ZSK New Generation Flight Core which has evolved from the previous Flight Core version 5. The Physics core is completely dependent on Force for Lift and Forward velocity instead of traditional LSL vehicle Parameters.
Mode B is the Standard physics setting and has the easiest physics behavior to fly. The physics core is made to reflect the basics of flight without being complicated to fly.
Mode A is an Advanced physics setting and has a more complicated and realistic physics behavior. The plane will loose lift when rolling or flying inverted. When adding power, the aircraft will pitch upwards and pitch downwards when the airspeed drops. Losing an engine will cause the Aircraft to list towards the dead engine.
Photographs
