Having recently released the Bucker Bü-131 ‘Jungmann’, Lionheart Creations is now focused on its next project for Microsoft Flight Simulator. As revealed last summer, along with the Q200 (since released) the developer planned to bring the LearAvia Lear Fan 2100 to the simulator, and today we finally have the first images of this peculiar aircraft, whose development appears to be at a fairly advanced stage.
For the unfamiliar, the Lear Fan 2100 was a 1970s turboprop business aircraft, which featured an unusual configuration with a single rear-mounted “pusher” propeller, powered by two engines. The idea was to provide the added safety of a twin-engine configuration while mitigating the effects of an engine failure and the handling difficulties it causes in traditional twin-engine airplanes. So, the Lear Fan 2100 shares some similar goals with the Cessna Skymaster… with a radically different design.
Sadly, this project never managed to move into production, with only 3 aircraft built. All of them have been preserved and are on display in three Museums across the US. Thankfully, the model is also now coming to MSFS, courtesy of Lionheart Creations, so soon we will be able to see some of the design peculiarities of the Lear Fan, hopefully with a decent simulation as well.
Looking to share a bit of information about how the development is going, Lionheart Creations has unveiled a few images of the aircraft. Clearly, a lot of attention is being given to the interior model, which is looking quite impressive. After all, this was intended to be a business aircraft, so a cozy and luxurious cabin is always a prerequisite in this kind of airplane. The Lear Fan appears to be no exception.
The developer also states that this has been a learning process for him, with new unfamiliar systems that need to be implemented. Previous releases from Lionheart Creations have been quite decent, such as the Bü-131 or the Trinidad TB-21 GT, but the Lear Fan 2100 is a completely different beast, possibly with little documentation to serve as a development guide.
For now, no estimated release date has been provided, so stay tuned for further news once they become available. For now, enjoy this first collection of images of the Lear Fan!
