Beechjet 400A
 

Considering this bird for ourselves. Any common type-specific issues to be aware of? Design flaws? Operational peculiarities?
We all know it isn't always exactly what it says on the box, so any first-hand experience would be highly appreciated...
Thanks in advance!

To do what, where, for who? How many hours per year?

By now an old aircraft. Noisy engines. Needs long runways for a light jet. Needs Prist (fuel additive) in the fuel if not modified with fuel heaters. Fuselage tank takes a long time to fill.

It's a solid airplane, good ride in turbulence, pretty fast, heavy in roll (roll spoilers only, no ailerons), Standard cabin for a light jet. ProLine 4 avionics were good for the time. Standard range for a light jet of that era (about 1200 NM). I enjoyed it more than the Citations 550 of the same era. Much more solid feel to it.

Make sure it has been updated to meet current avionics requirements and check noise restrictions at the airports you intend to use. It's officially Stage 3 but barely.

Thank you, sir! Good insights,.
Whats the more modern version? 400XP (Hawker)?
Sorry, not very familiar with Beechcraft (Raytheon?)...

The 400XP is essentially the same. The only true modern version with updated engines and avionics is the Nextant.

733, got it. Thanks again!

Eclipse 550 about 2.8 million but it has things like autothrottle... I've never flown it but seems very impressive on paper.

The Eclipes is a very light jet (VLJ), and a niche product at that. From a niche manufacturer. I would consider it a risky investment, even if it did fit the mission profile. If VLJ then I'd recommend a Phenom 100. It's the most grown-up of the bunch. Except I don't like the G1000's user interface at all. Most used Phenom 100s will have the G1000. New ones have the 3000, I believe.

I would tend to agree. Although I'm really not a big fan of the Garmin 1000 avionics in the early Phenom 300. The Garmin 3000 with touch controllers has a much better user interface.

Have you ever seen an Eclipse? They are small.

Actually, no I haven't seen one but I think it may just be a more feasible jet than the old Beechjet provided you don't need a lot of seating.... Citation Mustang then, maybe?

I consider Phenom a bit overpriced for what it is. Both 100 and 300. Nice and all, yes, but this is for commercial reasons, not personal indulgence...
Eclipse pics from the web: looks extra tiny!! How cramped is it inside compared to Beech and/or CJ1/2?

The Eclipse is very small, closer in comparison to a Baron inside, than other small jets.

Yes, the Eclipse is tiny. It's more a personal jet than your typical VLJ used for charter and/or corporate.

There's probably a good reason why the newer jets such as the Phenom 100 and 300 are more expensive than an old Beechjet They are cheaper to operate. The more you fly, the quicker that will pay for itself. They are probably also more reliable. Maintenance support may be better. You need to consider all these factors and more before making a decision.

Perhaps you want to share more of your mission profile? How many hours a year? What type of airports? City pairs? Pax count? Charter, corporate or private?

driver,
I understand the opex argument, but it is still hard to fork out the initial investment. It's like 350/787 - I appreciate how economical they are, but still can't afford one...
missions 1 to 1.5 hrs, 400hrs/year target give or take... airports mostly full equip within EU, nothing too exotic, although might be on occasion.

Hmmm, A Phenom 100 isn't much more expensive than a decent 400XP. The Phenom will be significantly cheaper to operate but the 400XP is a significantly larger and more substantial jet. If my mission was typically just one or two pax for not more than about 600 miles I'd go for a Phenom 100. Any more pax and/or longer flights on a regular basis, I'd go for something bigger such as the Beechjet or 400XP. I just learned there is something called a Hawker 400 XPR which is Textron's response to the Nextant. However, both should be significantly more expensive than a Beechjet or a 400XP.

Solid aircraft, Ageing avionics but they do the job. Does not climb well with engine and wing anti ice on in the clag. Solid 430-450kts TAS for 2.5 hrs then must land. Environmental system can give loads of trouble.
Heavy on the stick due to spoilers but rides the bumps very well. Very well made aircraft. Makes a C550 feel like a plastic aircraft i.e. solid.
Look for ADS-B out and TCAS7.1, expensive upgrades

Wouldn’t the Nextant mod fix most of that?

Yes but you're still buying an old airframe with overwing fueling and an aft tank that take ages to fill. Bargain on 30 mins to fuel the bird.

Buy something newer

Believe me I love the 400XP, but its engines don't perform and runs out of steam through FL300-320 when heavy. The nextant with williams may be a load better no experience on that