By Liz Moscrop
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) is at the show for the first time as a private company for the first time in 25 years (Chalet 89). With a strong product line up including the Hawker 4000 – 32 of which it recently sold to NetJets Europe – it is here with the Hawker 850XP, the Beechcraft Premier 1A and the Beechcraft King Air 350ER, which it will start delivering later this year.
The company is looking forward to a successful show. “The international market, and Europe in particular, is growing at a rapid pace with recent industry forecasts expecting this to continue through 2009,” said Jim Schuster, chairman and CEO. “One of the largest aviation tradeshows in the world, the Paris Air Show, provides us with an excellent venue to meet customers and display our aircraft.”
HBC arrives with news that it has recently upgraded two of its best-sellers. The new Beechcraft King Air B200GT, the latest evolution of the popular twin-turbine Beechcraft King Air 200, and the upgraded Beechcraft King Air B200GT are both due for certification and delivery in the third quarter of 2007. The B200GT can cruise at 305kt, an increase of nearly 20kt on its predecessor.
Its two P&WPT6A-52 engines are a fusion of the turbine section of the PT6A-60A found on the King Air 350 and the existing King Air B200 PT6A-42 gearbox. Thanks to its PT6A heritage, it enters the market with the same 3,600h time before overhaul as other King Air engines. The next Pro Line 21 equipped twin-turbine King Air C90GTi will deliver its passengers in a cabin that is nearly 50% larger.
International certifications for both aircraft will follow shortly with EASA, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, India, Argentina and Guatemala expected by the end of the year. To support its fleet, the company recently announced an engineering services contract with US based Satyam Computer Services to provide high-end design and other services.
Source: Flight Daily News
