Horizon Rolls Out and Will Fly in July;
Premier Certified, Will Deliver in May

Raytheon Aircraft is celebrating two milestones in Wichita this week of EBACE 2001 in Geneva: the rollout Tuesday of the Hawker Horizon, and the completion this week of final icing and single-pilot tests on the Premier 1, for which the manufacturer secured basic FAA certification on March 23.

The Horizon, at 36,000 pounds maximum takeoff weight Raytheon's largest aircraft ever, is slated to make its first flight on July 5, global general aviation sales VP Brad Hatt said here on Wednesday morning.

The 12,500-pound Premier 1 will be delivered to the first customer, owner-pilot Troy Eaden of Omaha, at the end of May. The first European delivery, to a customer in Germany, is expected in the fourth quarter.

Both aircraft boast thinwall composite fuselages yielding exceptionally roomy cabins-some 20 percent more volume with the same weight as conventional structures.

Raytheon claims more than 320 orders for the $5.3-million Premier 1, with 40% of them outside the U.S.

"The Premier is really a great airplane for Europe," where Hatt says Raytheon has notched upwards of 50 orders. The aircraft edges its competition not only in cabin size but in range, Hatt says, as it's able to fly non-stop from Geneva to St. Petersburg or to northern Africa.

"We have 18 of these airplanes already built in Wichita," he said, noting that they will all require modification after the burst tire test that contributed to the aircraft's certification delay (see box, bottom left). Raytheon expects to deliver 36 aircraft this year, and will bring production up to five Premiers per month for a 60-per-year delivery rate thereafter.

Raytheon claims 150 orders, including options, for the $16.9-million Hawker Horizon.

Raytheon Aircraft staged a FAA certification ceremony for the Premier 1 in Wichita March 23.