Hawker 450 to be Detailed in Paris

The composite-fuselage Hawker 450 will challenge the Citation Excel and Learjet 45 in the midsize market.

"It fits squarely in the middle of our product line of jets," Raytheon VP Brad Hatt said here Wednesday of the new Hawker 450.

Sporting a thinwall composite fuselage and aluminum wings à la the Kansas company's Premier 1 and Hawker Horizon, the 450 will challenge the Cessna Citation Excel and the Bombardier Lear 45.

The new aircraft will feature Honeywell Primus Epic avionics and TFE731-40 engines. Range will be approximately 2,000 nmi and top speed Mach .82.

The new aircraft will have a cabin 71 inches high, which is two inches more than the $12-million Hawker 800XP, Hatt said.
The new Hawker 450 will be priced between $7.8 and $9 million.

"It's probably going to be an $8.5-million airplane when all is said and done, Hatt said.

Raytheon is keeping busy supplying customers with its older aircraft too. The company anticipates delivery of about 45 of its venerable Beechjets this year and says there will be about 60 sales of the Hawker 800 XP.

"It is still today the most popular-selling medium jet in the world." Hatt said of the 800XP. The Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite, which will add about $400,000 to the 800XP's current $12.1-million price, will help maintain sales of 60 units per year for another decade, he said. The first Pro Line 800XP will be delivered in February 2002.

The composite-fuselaged Hawker 450 will challenge the Citation Excel and Learjet 45 in the midsize market.