Raytheon Hawker 4000 Finally Earns Its Wings

Better late than never. On Tuesday, Raytheon Aircraft Company said it finally received FAA type certification (TC) for its Hawker 4000 super-midsize business jet. The approval is some five-and-a-half years later than originally planned and couldnt come at a better time – on May 31 Raytheon missed the FAAs five-year limit for certification of the Hawker 4000 and had to apply for, and was granted, an extension to December 31. However, the extension also means that the Hawker 4000 must comply with Part 25 amendments adopted between May 31, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2001, notably more restrictive fuel-tank and hydraulic regulations. This summer, Raytheon applied for temporary exemptions to these additional requirements and has until mid-2008 to comply and retrofit the in-service fleet. According to the Wichita-based aircraft manufacturer, certification for flight into known icing for the jet is still pending. Raytheon said it has firm orders for 74 Hawker 4000s, 50 of which are going to fractional provider NetJets. Deliveries of the 12-passenger, $19.5 million twinjet are expected to begin early next year.