Future of the Hawker 4000

[microbus]

Due to the bankruptcy of Hawker-Beechcraft and the very real possibility of the company being sold off/broken apart in the near future, what do you all think the future for the Hawker 4000 looks like.

With less than 80 airframes flying and future sales all but dead, it seems like the Hawker 4000 program is facing an uphill battle to survive.

The company has stopped doing Load 20 upgrades for those aircraft that have not had them yet (Including the one my company operates) and it seems that parts availability and support is already starting to suffer.

Is the end near for the 4000?

 

[SCT]

Micro, interesting question. The airrcraft has a terrible reputation because of the embarressing amount of time it took to get certified. But that being said, is it a good performer in the field? Passengers like it? Fit and finish?
Thx-

 

[ultrarunner]

Reorg plan gets filed in a couple of weeks, so we'll know more then.

 

[rice]

Another tenant in our old hangar purchased a 4000 about a year ago. My reaction was how could someone smart enough to amass that much wealth make such a foolish business decision to buy that plane. I don't care how good some may think it is as an airplane, anyone with half a brain in this industry knew that this model and HB was a risky move for the last 18-24 months or more.

 

[microbus]

The airplane performs well, and is comfortable for the pax - but ours has had terrible dispatch reliability. (It has not had the Block Point upgrade - which fixes quite a few of the issues it would seem) The fit and finish is not what you would expect on an aircraft that costs $20 million. I am surprised our owner got talked in to buying it, it is his 5th HB product (moved up from an 850XP) It will be interesting to see how the Reorg plan goes! I can't see them putting more money into a program that has taken so much time, and cost so much $$$.Our owner has already ordered another aircraft from a different manufacturer.

 

[wingnutt]

Three options...

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/2239-full.html#206834

...and only one saves the 4000 and/or the 200

 

[LJ45]

two words: NOT GOOD

 

[gern_blanston]

I never could see why anyone would want one of those miserable things anyway:
Challenger 300 cabin, and Falcon 2000 range on 2,500# more fuel.
And now the mothership is imploding... No thanks.
OK, it's got 2 packs.

 

[TMMT]

We looked at both the squawker and the 300, went with the 300 and haven't looked back.

 

[Downwind]

Another tenant in our old hangar purchased a 4000 about a year ago. My reaction was how could someone smart enough to amass that much wealth make such a foolish business decision to buy that plane. I don't care how good some may think it is as an airplane, anyone with half a brain in this industry knew that this model and HB was a risky move for the last 18-24 months or more.

For the same reason we keep sinking tons of cash into a thirty year old 10,000 hour King Air. WTFK.