Raytheon Aircraft has cleared the final barrier to certification of its Hawker 4000 business jet with the US Federal Aviation Administration granting temporary exemption to some hydraulic and fuel system requirements. The company can now complete certification paperwork and begin deliveries.
The exemptions give Raytheon additional time to comply with two amendments that took effect when development delays pushed approval of the Hawker 4000 past the FAA's five-year time limit for type certification of a new Part 25 transport-category aircraft. When the deadline expired on 31 May, the FAA granted an extension to 31 December, but required Raytheon to comply with new certification regulations.
Raytheon has now been given until 1 June 2007 to test, validate and retrofit redesigned hydraulic components complying with the later amendment requiring them to withstand higher pressures. The company also has until 1 September 2008 to comply with new fuel-tank ignition prevention requirements by completing a fuel-system safety analysis and incorporating any design changes. Certification is imminent, says Raytheon, which plans to deliver five Hawker 4000s this year and 24 next year.
Source: Flight International
