Hawker Beechcraft is expected to unveil its new Premier II light business jet at an EBACE news conference later this afternoon.
The more capable variant of the Premier family offers greater range, speed and altitude. It is an upgraded version of the six-seat Premier IA, itself a revamp of the original Premier I that entered service in 2001.
The Premier II will be fitted with winglets, increasing wingspan by 330mm (13in) to 13.89m - and feature two 3,000lb thrust (13.4kN) Williams International FJ44-3AP engines, replacing the less powerful 2,290lb FJ44-2As of the Premier 1A.
The new model will have a range of 1,500nm (2,780km) with a pilot plus four passengers and a 4,000ft boost of maximum ceiling to 45,000ft. Maximum cruise speed is put at 465kt (861kmh) while operating weights are also enhanced. This latest model will retain the Premier I's Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics.
The Premier II will help to boost the company’s share of the increasingly crowded light business jet market, which includes Cessna's growing Citation Jet family - CJ1+, CJ2+, CJ3 and CJ4, the Bravo, Bombardier's Learjet 40XR and a rising number of new entrants, such as the Embraer Phenom 300, Grob SPn and Sino Swearingen SJ30.
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Source: Flight Daily News
