RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT'S Premier I, launched at the NBAA, is the first in a family of light business-jets. Company president Roy Norris says that a Premier II "...is already on the drawing board" and will be followed by a Premier III.
The $3.9 million, six-passenger, Premier I is positioned between the Cessna CitationJet and Citation Bravo, but has a larger cabin and faster cruise.
The aircraft, powered by two 10kN (2,300lb)-thrust Williams-Rolls FJ44-2As, has an instrument flight-rules range of 2,800km (1,500nm) with four passengers, 460kt (850km/h) maximum cruise and 41,000ft (12,500m) operating altitude.
Raytheon has orders for 32 Premier Is. The first flight is scheduled for third quarter of 1997 and US certification and first deliveries for the end of 1998. Production of 40 aircraft a year is planned.
Norris says that the automated fibre-placement technology used to produce the composite fuselage, as well as offering increased internal volume and reduced weight will enable the Premier to be stretched, or grown, earlier.
Manufacture of the high-aspect-ratio swept wing is also highly automated, with machined spars and ribs and auto-riveted skins.
Norris says that the fibre-placement technology "...is applicable to all aircraft. [The Premier I] is the first. We will use it on all Raytheon aircraft in the future." The company formed in September 1994, by the merger of Beech Aircraft and Raytheon Corporate Jets, plans to revamp all its products, he says.
"We intend to remain the largest, broadest-based, company in the business, with aircraft ranging from high-end piston singles to super-mid-size business jets," Norris says. An improved Hawker 1000 mid-sized jet is under development, he acknowledges. Based on experience with the Rockwell-Collins Pro Line 21 avionics in the Premier I, Raytheon plans to install large liquid-crystal cockpit-displays in the Hawker 800, he adds.
Norris does not expect to compete with the King Air twin turboprop or Beechjet light jet with the Premier I. The Beechjet is expected to remain in production beyond the year 2000, says Raytheon Aircraft chairman Art Wegner, and improvements are planned.
See feature, P42
Source: Flight International
