With a range of more than 2,000 nautical miles and a speed in excess of Mach .8, the Hawker 450 is the most recent product offering from Raytheon Aircraft.

The company is already accepting deposits for the aircraft, which is priced between $7.8 and $9 million and will feature Raytheon's signature composite fuselage and swept aluminium wing design used on the Premier 1 and Hawker Horizon aircraft.

"The Hawker 450 will fly faster, farther, offer a larger cabin and provide a better value than any other aircraft in the light mid-size jet market today," said Raytheon chairman and ceo Hansel Tookes. "The composite fuselage technology advantage will provide the Hawker 450 with a cabin size of a mid-sized business jet with a price closer to a light jet."

Raytheon says it will announce the Hawker 450's certification and delivery schedules at a later date. Full-scale development work on the new design will be initiated following Premier 1 certification later this year.

Raytheon has also revealed that it has joined forces with FlightSafety International to develop a computer-based maintenance training programme, allowing Raytheon technicians to participate in training without travelling.

 The computer-based training courses will be developed in the form of compact discs, and can be completed at the Raytheon Aircraft Authorized Service Center's facility or at a technician's home.

Initially, the programmes will be developed for the Premier 1 and King Air B200, then grow to a total of 10 courses covering the entire Raytheon product line over a five-year period.

Meanwhile, the Hawker Horizon has reached a significant milestone with the mating of its three fuselage sections.