Beechcraft

Want the very best combination of speed, range, and load-carrying capacity? A single-engine turboprop like those in the TBM series makes a great choice. Here’s a brief look at how the TBM 900 stacks up against its competitors in the turboprop and owner-flown jet market. [Historical data and pricing have been preserved for the record.] […]

Beechcraft celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the King Air Model 90 with cake at the company’s Sun ‘n Fun exhibit and a fly-over at the Beech factory in Wichita, Kansas. The first flight of the King Air on January 20, 1964, started a remarkable production run for a remarkable airplane that […]

The Financial Times caused a stir with a report that Cessna parent company Textron has reached an agreement to buy Beechcraft for $1.4 billion. Neither company has commented on the story, which sent Textron’s stock soaring after the news first leaked on Friday. According to the report, Beechcraft hired Credit Suisse in October to identify […]

When the subject of legendary light airplanes comes up, one of the names certain to be mentioned early in the conversation is the Beechcraft Bonanza. The latest model, the G36, bears a passing resemblance to the revolutionary original, which Beech Aircraft began selling way back in 1947. But today’s Bonanza is a very sophisticated platform, […]

Both Beechcraft and Nextant Aerospace offer engine/airframe/avionics upgrades for existing Hawker 400 jets (formerly the Beechjet, née Mitsubishi Diamond). Beech just upped the ante by offering the Garmin G5000 avionics suite as an option. The Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 is the other option. Brian Howell, Beechcraft v-p of aftermarket sales and business development, said, […]

Beechcraft celebrated this week as the production version of the new AT-6 Texan II light attack airplane completed its first flight in Wichita. “It flies beautifully,” Lionel Alford, one of the test pilots of the inaugural flight, said after the successful mission. “This achievement highlights the tremendous effort of the entire Beechcraft team involved in […]

Kenny Dichter, the former vice chairman of NetJets and creator of the jet card concept as founder of Marquis Jet, is pouring his creative energy into a new endeavor anchored around the workhorse Beechcraft King Air 350i. Dichter’s new company, Wheels Up, has placed an order for 105 of the versatile twin turboprops and full […]

The Beechcraft Bonanza holds a coveted spot in aviation history as the longest continually produced airplane of all time. Beechcraft celebrated a significant milestone for the storied airplane on Monday, handing over the 4,000th Model 36 Bonanza, a G36 purchased by a Baltimore, Maryland, commercial real estate firm. In all, Beechcraft has produced more than […]

Showing its post-bankruptcy commitment to the progressing Hawker 400XPR upgrade program, Beechcraft announced it has started flight testing the winglets on the light jet this month with positive results. “We’ve been beating performance estimates in flight testing, and we’re in the final certification phase for the 400XPR,” said Brian Howell, Hawker Beechcraft vice president, aftermarket […]

Last year’s restructuring is paying dividends for Beechcraft, at least in terms of deliveries. The manufacturer handed over 59 airplanes to new owners in the first quarter, compared with 37 for the same time frame last year. The deliveries included 16 King Air 350i/ER turboprop twins; 13 King Air 250s; five King Air 90 GTx […]