Raytheon Opens Its Toy Box, Promises Some Surprises
Hand-in-hand with the newly announced Pro Line 21 upgrade for
the Beechcraft King Air Family, Raytheon has revealed that several
ambitious upgrade programs for its other aircraft families will
be rolled out over the next 12 months or so. Raytheon's head of
the Beechcraft and Hawker divisions, Brad Hatt, has flagged up
some important imminent changes to the company's piston-engined
product line-the Bonanza and Baron. He told NBAA press conference
attendees to expect "significant upgrades" to the piston-engined
family next year.
Hatt also announced that Raytheon intends to keep the Hawker 800XP
in its leading midsize jet market position with a series of improvements
that may well bear fruit by NBAA 2004. Expect some physical changes
to the exterior, a new interior cabin fit and even a possible re-engining,
said Hatt.
