First Flight For Nextant G90XT

Nextant Aerospace has completed the first test flight of its remanufactured G90XT design, the company recently announced. The project, which launched about a year ago, matches a refurbished King Air C90A with the new H75 engine by GE. The airplane also features a Garmin G1000 cockpit, electronic engine controls, new dual-zone air conditioning, and many more upgrades. “We spent several months with existing King Air operators during our feasibility studies trying to understand what types of enhancements would significantly improve their ownership experience,” said Nextant CEO Sean McGeough. “We listened carefully and believe we are delivering a product that will have a large impact within this market segment.”

Nextant Aerospace has completed the first test flight of its remanufactured G90XT design, the company recently announced. The project, which launched about a year ago, matches a refurbished King Air C90A with the new H75 engine by GE. The airplane also features a Garmin G1000 cockpit, electronic engine controls, new dual-zone air conditioning and many more upgrades. "We spent several months with existing King Air operators during our feasibility studies trying to understand what types of enhancements would significantly improve their ownership experience," said Nextant CEO Sean McGeough. "We listened carefully and believe we are delivering a product that will have a large impact within this market segment."

Test pilot Nathan Marker said the first flight went smoothly. "The increased power was very noticeable during the takeoff run," he said. "I was also impressed by the lower noise levels in the cockpit. The change in position of the propellers relative to the fuselage combined with the new engine makes for a much quieter and more comfortable flight experience for passengers." The flight test program should last about six weeks, according to the company news release, with certification and first delivery expected in the second quarter of this year. The company, which is based in Cleveland, previously developed the 400XTi, a remanufactured business jet based on the Beechjet 400A/XP, with new Williams engines and Rockwell Collins avionics.

At NBAA's convention in October, AVweb's Paul Bertorelli toured a mock-up of the G90XT.