Hawker Beechcraft delivers first Hawker 4000 business jet
18 Jun 2008
After a development and certification process that stretched for 12 years Hawker Beechcraft has held a delivery ceremony at its Wichita headquarters to hand over the first production version of the Hawker 4000 business jet. Hawker did not identify the first owner but said that it was "a private owner and loyal Hawker Beechcraft customer."
The Hawker 4000 was announced in 1996 and first flew in 2001.
The composite-fuselage mid-size jet, described by the company as "the world's most advanced business jet," was certified in 2006. Production was delayed as the company boosted performance of the aircraft and installed a more robust lightning-protection system at the request of the FAA.
Final type certification and production approval was recently given to the aircraft by the FAA.
It is also the largest composite aircraft certified by the FAA.
