Hawker Beechcraft 400XP Specs and Description

Background/History

Originally sponsored by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, LTD., the Diamond aircraft program was purchased by Raytheon’s Beech Aircraft Corporation in 1985. The Diamond I (MU-300) was Mitsubishi’s first business jet aircraft. It received FAA certification in 1979. Previously manufactured in Japan, the aircraft is now fully manufactured at Beech Aircraft’s facility in Wichita, Kansas. The Beechjet model 400A announced in 1988 offered improvements including a redesign of the fuel system plumbing under the cabin floor, which resulted in a slightly larger and more efficiently configured cabin. The model 400A also has a greater payload capacity than that of the earlier 400. FAA certification of the Beechjet 400A was granted in December 1989 and in 2004 Raytheon changed the model designation to Hawker 400XP. Production of the 400XP continues to the present with 241 aircraft produced through 2008, however in October of 2008 Hawker Beechcraft announced an upgraded version of the 400XP which will be called the 450XP. The difference between the two airplanes will be more fuel efficient engines, and new interior upgrades.

Power

The Hawker 400XP is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5 axial-centrifugal flow medium bypass ratio turbofan engines rated at 2,965 lbs. thrust each at ISA +12 C. Inspection interval on the engines is 3,600 hours.

Avionics

The Hawker 400XP features Collins Pro Line 4 equipment, including the Collins FCS-850 digital flight control system, pilot’s side EFIS (EFD-871), Collins MFD-871 (a single multifunction display), Collins FMS-850 flight management system, Collins WXR-840 color weather radar with 14-inch antenna, and Collins ALT-55B radio altimeter and Rosemount air data probe.

Design Features

The 400XP is a twin turbofan-powered, short-to-medium range executive jet aircraft. It is configured as a cantilever low swept wing monoplane with a pressurized semi-monocoque fuselage, T-tail section with swept vertical and horizontal stabilizers, and retractable tricycle landing gear with a single wheel on each unit. The 400XP is constructed mainly of aerospace light alloys. The fuel tanks hold a maximum of 4,911 pounds of fuel. The tanks have been designed so that the aircraft will consume the fuselage capacity first, allowing the weight reduction to minimize the bending moment at the wing root. There are three ports for refueling: one in each wing, and one in the fuselage. Landing gear oleo struts were redesigned and anti-skid logic has been recalibrated and reprogrammed to allow for the increase in maximum landing weight over the Beechjet 400 model.

Accomodations

The Hawker 400XP is normally configured for eight or nine passengers. Four seats in the aft cabin, two sets of two seats facing each other in a forward club, and a belted seat in the aft-located lavatory constitute the standard cabin arrangement. This configuration has both a carry-on baggage area and refreshment cabinet. The cabin has fully berthable chairs that swivel 180 degrees. Total baggage capacity of the 400XP is 57 cubic feet. New engine mounts and additional sound dampening materials have helped to reduce the cabin noise level in the 400A/400XP series.