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General Beechjet info

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knelson

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 26, 2001
Posts
184
I currently work for a corporate flight department that is looking to go from the turbo-prop market to the light-jet market. The boss is thinking about a Citation SII, Beechjet 400A, or possibly an older citation 3 maybe 7. I know it is a broad spectrum of aircraft here, but I am specifically interested in getting information on the Beech. The people I fly typically have golf clubs with them and that seems to be a big problem in a lot of the smaller corporate aircraft. I would appreciate any information on the luggage area on the 400A. Also, any general things to look for when beginning to look at them (optional equipment, is it a decent airplane from a pilots perspective? maintenance? fuel burns? how is the overall performance?) Any and all information by you experienced Beechjet guys/gals would be welcomed! Thanks in advance!

Kevin
 
My tech manual actually doesn't give any dimensions, but the exterior baggage compartment is a bit akward in shape. It is narrow and long, with an inclined floor. Big enough for some golf bags, not much else.

Optional equipment to look for includes the 3 vs. 4-tube cockpit displays, the AMS-5000 vs. the Collins 850 FMS, thrust reversers, and normal cabin layout variations.

We get about 430-440 kts TAS on average. I've heard no complaints on maintenance issues. I love flying it, but I'm not much for experience. I'll leave the rest for the people with some significant time in it...
 
You are correct in saying that most light jets don't have a lot of baggage space. The beech is one of those. If you have more than three sets of bags you are gong to be filling up the lav area with other golf bags or luggage. (Asuming they are the big golf bags that everyone carries!!) The only other gripe that I have with the airplane is fuel. You have about 3 hours VFR and about 2:30 IFR. Some people disagree but look at the numbers real carefully. Also it is not as short field of an airplane like the citation. As far as performance(speed), there is nothing out there that really comes close to it. I have roughly 1000 hours in the airplane so if there are any other questions just ask and I will try hard to answer them!
 
My .02

I'm not a Beechjet driver, but did learn quite a bit about the airplane in preparation for a job that didn't pan out. As light jets go, I think it is one of your better options ... cabin space is better than many other light jets, and it goes pretty fast. Operating costs are higher than the SII, but you'll outrun the SII with more space on board. The exterior baggage compartment is probably big enough to hold a couple of golf bags, but I wouldn't think you'd get a ton of them in there! The good news is that it is outside, so you don't have to drag the bags through the cabin. The guys I know fly late model 400As with the three-tube system and the AMS-5000 FMS, and are quite happy with it. I'll second the previous post that TRs are really an item you want to have.

Couple of things to remember about the a/c ... no single-point refueling, so the line guys aren't crazy about it ... not a big deal unless you pump your own fuel at home. Prist is REQUIRED for all operations. The airplane has no ailerons ... roll control is through spoilers only (like the MU2 ... remember the airplane was originally Mitsubishi - the Diamond). Most people I know are pretty happy with the airplane, though ... it is definitely a bird worth considering.

Best of luck.
 
Do you need?

Kevin,

Do you need a SIC and someone to carry those golfclubs <bg>. There are plenty of us out here looking for work. Just don't trust what the brokers tell you trust your fellow aviators. Good luck in your upgrade.

Humble
 
Re: My .02

flywithruss said:
... no single-point refueling, so the line guys aren't crazy about it ... not a big deal unless you pump your own fuel at home.

I thought single-point was an option?
 
Could be ...

It might be, but I don't know for sure. I never have encountered a BE-400A with single-point (including doing line service in my CFI days for extra $), nor is it mentioned in my FSI manual for the airplane. If somebody has information to the contrary, please post it! I'd be interested to know ...

Tailwinds, y'all ...

R
 

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