Summary The Beechcraft Premier IA featured upgraded avionics, brakes and cabin interior for increased performance and comfort at a price of $7 million. The aircraft was constructed with carbon fiber composite, high strength materials, had a top speed of 451 knots, and a range of 1,365 nautical miles. The Beechcraft Premier II, later branded the Hawker 200, was developed with higher speed, range, and payload, but faced production delays before it ceased production.
The Beechcraft Premier I is a light business jet manufactured by the Beechcraft division of Hawker Beechcraft. It was an independently designed private jet that was to compete with the Cessna Citation Jet series . Let's find out more about the aircraft and its history.
Early days It was first designed in 1994 and officially announced in 1995 at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention. The first prototype was built in the following year and rolled off the assembly line on August 19, 1998, before its first flight on December 22, 1998. During the test flight program, four prototypes were built and the Beechcraft Premier I was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in March 2001.
Aircraft issues and rebranding The Beechcraft Premier I entered service in 2001 at a price of $5 million, which was reasonable for a light jet, but there were some issues. The aircraft was found to have poor runway performance and an insufficient cockpit. There were also issues with erratic brakes and a noisy cabi.