Raytheon Premier I

Type (Muster)
Light business jet (Leichter Geschäftsreisejet)

Country (Land)
USA

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Raytheon Aircraft Company
PO Box 85
Wichita, Kansas 67201-0085
USA

Phone: 001-316/676-7007
Fax: 001-316/676-4748

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 1 or 2
Passengers (Passagiere): 6 to 7
Baggage: 317 kg in a total volume of 2,26 cu m

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Williams-Rolls FJ44-2 turbofans
Thrust (Schub): 2 x 10,22 kN (2300 lbs)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 14,02 m
Height (Höhe): 4,75 m
Span (Spannweite): 13,56 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 29,9 sq m
Wing sweep (Flügelpfeilung): 20 deg

Cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 4,14 m without cockpit
Cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 1,67 m
Cabin height (Kabinenhöhe): 1,65 m
Cabin volume (Kabinenvolumen): 12,14 cu m for cabin and cockpit

Weights (Massen)
Payload with maximum fuel (Nutzlast): 362 kg
Fuel (Kraftstoff): 2059 litres / 1655 kg
Take-off weight (Startmasse): 5670 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Max. cruise speed (max. Reisegeschwindigkeit): 853 km/h (461 kts) at 33000 ft
Max. certified altitude (Gipfelhöhe): 12500 m (41000 ft)
Take-off distance (Startstrecke): less than 915 m
Landing distance (Landestrecke): 775 m on a standard day
Range (Reichweite)
- with four passengers: 1500 NM (2780 km)
- with six passengers: 1250 NM (2315 km)

Costs (Kosten)
In September 1999, a flyaway price of 4,56 million US-Dollars was quoted. This is up from 4,15 million US-Dollars (1995 value) mentioned at the roll-out in August 1998.

Customers (Kunden)
By September 1999, orders for over 200 aircraft are in hand, thus continuing the steady climb. About 40 per cent go to international customers.
More than 120 firm orders had been placed by domestic and international customers for the entry-level jet by the time of the roll-out in August 1998. Ten more had been added by the time of the NBAA convention in mid-October, and by the first flight in December 1998, the figure had climbed to "more than 140" aircraft. Production is to reach 50 aircraft a year initially and will rapidly move up to 60 a year.

Competition (Konkurrenz)
Cessna CitationJet
Sino Swearingen SJ30-2

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The Premier I is the first all new aircraft designed by Raytheon Aircraft after its merger of Beech and Hawker product lines. It aims to offer a mid-size cabin at a very attractive price. Main design features are a composite fuselage, built with automated fiber placement techniques, combined with a conventional aluminium wing which uses many machined parts and automatic riveting. Design work was fully on computer (CATIA).
To get it right, Raytheon talked to more than 100 operators and then set up an advisory group of more than 20 to support the design work.

History (Geschichte)
Design of the Premier I startet early in 1994, then still under the Beech name. Board approval followed in early 1995, and the programme was officially announced at the NBAA convention in September 1995, when 51 commitments were placed for the jet. At that time, certification was planned for late 1998.
Windtunnel tests were conducted in 1996 and a first fuselage completed in 1997, but due to wing redesing, the roll-out was delayed at least three months until 19. August 1998. Premier I was escorted out of the factory by more than 500 Raytheon Aircraft employees assigned to the aircraft's Integrated Product Teams. Engineers, tool makers, production and assembly workers, product support and quality assurance employees, managers and others surrounded the aircraft as it moved past the hangar doors.
The first flight was then predicted to occur late in September or early October 1998, but it was not until December 22, 1998 that the new entry-level business jet lifted off from Beech Field at Wichita at 11:35 am. Raytheon Aircraft test pilot Charlie Volk and flight engineer Warren Gould flew general maneuvers that tested the aircraft's flying qualities, engine operation and basic systems at altitudes ranging to 14,500 feet. The Premier I reached 370 km/h (200 knots) during its 62-minute maiden flight. "The aircraft felt comfortable right out of the box," said pilot Volk. "We were really pleased with the way the aircraft flew. Its response was smooth, accurate and predictable. We are very comfortable with the aircraft as it is configured," he added.
The second Premier I flew for the first time on June 4, 1999. Test pilot Bill Vavra and flight test engineer Peter Gracey were at the controls, performing general maneuvres. By this time, the first aircraft had accumulated 115 flight hours, demonstrating 320 KEAS, Mach 0.8 and flights to 41000 ft.
The third aircraft followed on 17 September 1999 from Beech Field in Wichita. The flight lasted for nearly two hours. Test pilot Dave Newton and flight test engineer Corey Eckhart flew maneuvers that tested the aircraft's flying qualities, gear and flap operations, airspeed and on-board systems.
To recover delays, a fourth machine has been added to the 1400 hour flight test programme. It should fly by the end of 1999.
Flight test tasks are assigned as follows:

RB-1: Envelope expansion, flying qualities, FAA qualification
RB-2: Systems/powerplant development, FAA systems/powerplant approval
RB-3: Electro-mechanical interference and compatibility, FAA avionics/autopilot approval
RB-5: FAA flight performance, functionality & reliability

Also, two airframes are being built for static and damage and durability testing. The company now hopes to achieve FAA certification "before the end of 1999", with JAA certification to follow in early 2000. It seems that even these targets will be missed. All test aircraft will be fully configured, conformed production airplanes, and all optional equipment will be installed to ensure full certification from the start.

Last updated 26. October 1999

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