Learjet Model 23

The Model 23 is the first of Learjet's series of small business jet aircraft. First flown in 1963, the Model 23's performance, good looks, and a sense of power and prestige made the aircraft such a success that the name Learjet is still synonymous with the entire class of small business jets no matter what company actually built them. Compared to modern business jets, some of which are the size of airliners, the Model 23 is small and cramped, but in an era when business aircraft were all propeller driven it stood out and created the demand for larger, faster and more comfortable aircraft that continues unabated today.