Textron’s Beechcraft subsidiary has received full FAA certification for all program elements of its Beechcraft/Hawker 400A upgrade. All upgrade work is completed either in Wichita, Kansas, or at a Textron Aviation service center. The completed effort transforms the old 1980s-era airframe into a Hawker 400XPR that offers improved climb and takeoff performance, as well as better cruise and range numbers. The Hawker 400A transformation can be completed in stages, or in as little as 12 weeks of continuous downtime.
The upgrade switches out the standard 2,900-pound-thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada engines for a pair of Williams International FJ44-4A-32s producing 3,200 pounds of thrust each. The new power plants create a 33 percent increase in range, along with improvements in runway and hot/high performance. The 400XPR will carry four passengers nearly 2,000 nm. The upgraded airplane also climbs to FL450 in 19 minutes and offers a top speed of 450 knots.
The full upgrade includes a pair of Hawker winglets that increase the aircraft’s range 5 to 7 percent, with a reduction in stall speed and improvement in stability. One choice operators will need to make is whether to retain the 400A’s existing Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics, or upgrade to Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics.
All components of the factory-approved, engineered and supported upgrade package are available for installation on Beechjet 400A/Hawker 400XP aircraft at Textron Aviation service centers. Textron expects to deliver the first full factory-completed Hawker 400XPR to an operator later this year.
